Rebellion
by BeckyLadiye
Summary: Sequel to Dreamwalker. New Moon AU. See the events of New Moon unfold through the eyes of the blind baby sister of the Cullen Family. Will Leia honor her brother's request to leave Bella alone?
1. Chapter 1

Author Notes:

This is the sequel to Dreamwalker, the first story in my Baby Sister series. Please check out that story before you start this one, or you might be a wee bit confused. :)

This story is AU, but it will be canon couples...mostly. The timeline follows book two of the Twilight Series, _New Moon_, albeit loosely. I tried to stay fairly true to the major events in _Twilight_, but from here on out, things are going to start shifting as Leia takes on a more active role in Bella's life.

Disclaimer: The Twilight Series belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I'm only borrowing her universe for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers. No copyright infringment is intended, no profit will be made off of this story. I do so solemnly swear to return the characters I borrowed. However, the character of Leia Cullen is my very much a child of my own imagination, so I'll be keeping her. Her brothers would be very irritated if someone decided to steal her from me. So mitts off.

Warning: Lots of borrowed dialogue from _New Moon_ here. Until Leia decides to interfere, the timeline/plot won't change much.

*****

I snarled softly at Alice and whirled out of the house. I ran as quickly as I could, which was pretty fast. I had several paths from the house memorized. Granted there was an occasional branch or rock or fallen tree that changed the course, but I had learned how to tumble over them and keep moving without missing a beat. I had spent a lot of time this summer training my body to do impossible things. I was no longer the weakest fighter in the family either. I could best both Rosalie and Esme in a fight almost every time and Alice some of the time. Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett I only won a spar on very rarely, and of course against Edward it was impossible. Ah, Edward. The source of my current distress.

It was September, the day after Bella's birthday. When I thought of yesterday, I flinched involuntarily. One little paper cut and Jasper had dropped all pretense of humanity. I hadn't fared much better, but Carlisle had grabbed me around the waist before I could even think to lunge. Perhaps it was just the suddenness of it, intruding on our pleasant evening, that had caused the reactions. I almost felt guilty that I had been able to stop breathing and disappear into my room until the mess had been cleaned up and Edward had taken Bella home. Jasper hadn't found it so easy.

I had known then what would happen. I knew my brother so very well. Edwad would brood and overthink and decide that it was better for us to leave Bella. Safer for her, therefore the right thing to do. What really hurt was the fact that I couldn't disagree with him completely. She would be safer if she didn't hang out with us. Safer if our family didn't love her like we did.

Of course Rosalie was happy, to the point of smugness. She knew Edward well enough to guess his reaction as well. Emmett would get over it fairly quickly, his disappointment, but he would always miss her. Jasper would never stop blaming himself for driving Edward to this decision. And then there was Alice and me. We would grieve the loss of a dear friend. But all of that would pale in comparison to what this would do to Edward.

I found myself perched in a tree miles from the house, in a hollow that I had found back when Edward had left that first day, the day Bella had come to Fork's High and had changed all of our lives. I curled in on myself and tried not to think about what Alice had said. We were leaving tomorrow, all of us. Rosalie and Emmett were going back to Africa and the rest of us were going to Cornell. The rest of us minus Edward. Alice saw him running off by himself, following some trail she couldn't see an end to.

In my heart, I knew that the end of the trail would lead him back to Bella. She was his soul mate and he would not be able to stay away from her long. If I had been laying bets with Jasper and Emmett, I would have given him a year, tops. But the problem was, what damage would be done in that year? How would Bella cope when Edward left her? Edward had always underestimated Bella's love for him, her devotion. He didn't understand it, couldn't pick her thoughts to analyze it, so he placed human limitations on her feelings. Wouldn't she recover after a while, forget him and move on to a new, safer love?

"_Ask Alice if she would ever leave Jasper, ask Esme if she could ever walk away from Carlisle_." I had told him to do that once, when he'd been snarling over one of the boys in Bella's life. He always expected her to see what he saw, that Mike Newton or Jacob Black would be better for her. Honestly, Bella was past the ability to take that road, even if she could look down it and wish for a normal life. And it was all his fault, for being so very Edward. This summer had been so perfect. My brother had shown Bella the best sides of himself. The brilliant, loving, gentle musician with a dry sense of humor. But now the darker sides of Edward were firmly dominant. He was the guilty, brooding martyr.

Edward had once told me, when Bella was still recovering from our run in with James, that he would not outlive Bella for long. He had been apologizing to me, knowing that he was going to leave me soon. I hadn't been concerned at the time. Bella was resolute about becoming a vampire and Alice had still seen that as a firm future for Bella at the time. I had figured Edward would be able to hold out for a few years but eventually he would give in.

Now, Alice couldn't see much of Bella's future. I had watched her try a few times this evening and she had been disturbed, even frightened by some of what she'd seen. But not frightened enough that she wouldn't leave like Edward demanded. No, we were all going to leave, even if some of us would be kicking and screaming all the way to the airport. It was the only rebellion I would be allowed, for now.

_Three months later_

I lamented the fact that it had taken this long to plan my escape, plan it perfectly so that not even a tracker like James could follow me. My family, especially Alice, had always expected me to be the one to break the promises Carlisle and Alice had made for all of us. We were all supposed to pretend that Forks didn't exist. It was such a good thing that Edward wasn't around anymore and that Alice had gotten complacent about watching my futures. Or maybe she just didn't care anymore. Alice was hurting as much as I was. But Alice had a distraction. She was tracking down her human past.

The letter I had left for Carlisle and Esme had been brief. I was going to do some traveling on my own, see the world. They would be disappointed and Esme would worry herself sick, but I had little choice. Bella needed me. I had done a fairly good job of pretending to settle in New York. I had refused to go to high school again, instead throwing myself into dancing. I had three full length ballets choreographed to Edward's music.

As I stepped off the plane in Seattle, I smiled. I had flown around the world in the last two days. It was a good thing vampires didn't sleep or the jet lag would have been hell. I had only a backpack. I hadn't trusted a suitcase to follow me through all my plane changes. I had left a trunk of clothes at the house when we'd left, knowing even then that I would come back here soon.

I waited until sundown to hail a cab. It had been a sunny day. I was going to miss Alice's dead on weather predictions. I had the cab driver drop me in Hoquiam and I ran the rest of the way to the house. It was dark, but then the electricity wasn't on. Neither was the water, but I had the river if I needed a bath. My dance studio room was bare except for my couch and the trunk of clothes. I didn't bother to change out of my clothes. What was the point? I wasn't here to socialize. I was here to check on Bella.

I had hunted on the run from Hoquiam, so I didn't hesitate before running to Forks. It was so good to be back here. It wasn't home. No, home was where my family was. But my family was scattered to the four winds, so I had decided to come where I could do the most good. A small, dark voice in the back of my mind asked me what I would do if Edward was right and Bella was able to move on without him, but I rolled my eyes at it. I started in a tree a mile from the Swan home, just perching there and listening. I heard nothing of interest over Charlie's snores. I moved closer, to the trees just behind the house.

Bella had always talked in her sleep, had always been restless. I had watched her sleep enough times to know this. She was tossing now. I heard the restless stir of skin against her bedspread, could even smell the sweat beading on her forehead. Her heart was thudding slowly, gradually speeding up as if what she dreamed was escalating. When she woke screaming, I found myself all the way to her window before I remembered myself. I flitted onto the roof and gripped the eave as hard as I could without ripping through the fragile wood and shingle.

I waited for Charlie to come to Bella. His snores had stopped. But he just sighed heartbrokenly and turned over, pulling a pillow over his head if I interpreted the sounds correctly. I knew how much Charlie loved Bella and that blood curdling scream, the whimpers coming from her room, though muffled by the pillow now, had to caused him grief. But beyond the initial speed up of his heart when he'd woken, he didn't seem frightened now. Did this happen enough that he was resigned to it now?

Well, at least she's alive, I thought to myself wryly. I heard her get up, obviously too disturbed to go back to sleep. I thought it might be around five thirty now. She trudged downstairs and began banging in the kitchen. Charlie managed to doze for another half hour before he too moved down to the kitchen. I let go of the eave now, waiting for my first chance to see Bella.

It didn't look so bad at first glance. She was cooking eggs and bacon for Charlie, turned towards the stove. I lost the view when Charlie sat and ducked his head into the paper. It wasn't until she very carefully placed his breakfast in front of him that I saw her again. The careful blank expression, the empty eyes and the dark circles under her eyes were all terrible. The gentle but distracted way she asked Charlie what he wanted to drink made me wince.

I shadowed Bella all day, getting as close to her as I could without alerting anyone human that I was lurking in the forested edges around town. It was actually hard to keep track of her visually. No one looked at her anymore, unlike before we'd left. Bella had always been the center of someone's focus, if only because she was the freak that sat with the Cullen's. Now I had to bounce around looking for someone that was looking at something near Bella to see her. Teachers were a good bet. They had to look at their classes. But even they avoided looking directly at Bella.

After school, Bella went to work at Newton's Outdoors. I finally got some eyes to see her through. Mike, it seemed, wasn't as reluctant to look at Bella at work. His eyes followed her whenever she was in his visual scope. Her expression never changed beyond the wooden smile she gave customers she was required to interact with. More often than not, Mike would rush to intercept them before she could. I winced. Bella's customer service skills were certainly not in evidence.

Back home, Bella heated leftovers for herself and Charlie and then spread out her homework. Charlie arrived soon after and he paused in the kitchen doorway to look at her, head bent over her Calculus book. She didn't look up at his tentative greeting, just returned it distractedly. I heard Charlie sigh as he took his dinner and went to sit in front of the television. Both of them went to bed after exchanging quiet goodnights a few hours later.

The pattern repeated itself as I watched for two weeks, with minimal change. Bella wasn't coping with Edward's departure. She wasn't dealing with anything in her life beyond caring for Charlie and her schoolwork. I desperately wanted to know if she had been like this since the first day, or if she had grieved at all. I started to wonder if I should let her know I was around, just to see if I could get a reaction out of her. Any reaction would be preferable to this complete apathy. Evidently Charlie agreed with me, because one morning in early January, he pushed her.

"That's it, Bella! I'm sending you home." Charlie's fist came down on the table hard enough to rattle Bella's cereal bowl. She looked up at Charlie as if shocked. Hadn't she heard a word of their stilted conversation about the weather?

"I am home," Bella mumbled this, confused.

"I'm sending you to Renee, to Jacksonville," he clarified.

Charlie watched as Bella's face slowly crumpled with despair. Okay, here was a reaction, one that made my heart ache, but a reaction.

"What did I do?" I flicked vision just long enough to see that Charlie was scowling.

"You didn't do anything. That's the problem. You never do anything."

"You want me to get into trouble?" Bella's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. She looked like someone trying to fight off the fog of sleep so that they could pay attention to something they knew was important.

"Trouble would be better than this… this moping around all the time!"

"I am not moping around."

"Wrong word," he grudgingly conceded. "Moping would be better-that would be doing something. You're just… lifeless, Bella. I think that's the word I want."

I sighed as Charlie found the perfect word for Bella's state of being. Bella's face shifted into a remorseful expression. She was trying, at least, to be an active part of the conversation.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Her apology almost sounded sincere.

"I don't want you to apologize."

I sighed and it was echoed by Bella. "Then tell me what you do want me to do."

"Bella, honey, you're not the first person to go through this kind of thing, you know." I snorted softly. I loved Charlie, but he really had no idea that Bella really was the first of her kind. Surely no other human in the world had ever had such a stubborn, brooding vampire for a soul mate.

"I know that." Bella's response to Charlie was lackluster, obviously an attempt to appease him before the conversation lead into a real discussion.

"Listen, honey. I think that-that maybe you need some help."

"Help?" Bella's brow pulled together in a frown.

He paused, searching for the words again. "When your mother left and took you with her." He inhaled deeply. "Well, that was a really bad time for me."

"I know, Dad," Bella mumbled, her head down as if she couldn't bear to look at Charlie. Perhaps Charlie did understand her pain to a degree. To lose his wife and his beloved daughter, that had to have been a very rough time for him. I found myself longing to go comfort him.

"But I handled it," he continued. "Honey, you're not handling it. I waited, I hoped it would get better. I think we both know it's not getting better."

"I'm fine."

He ignored her muttered response. "Maybe, well, maybe if you talked to someone about it. A professional."

"You want me to see a shrink?" Bella's voice was a bit sharp and I grinned. Charlie had finally gotten her attention.

"Maybe it would help."

"And maybe it wouldn't help one little bit." Her expression flitted from one of dark amusement to one of obstinance. I couldn't help a chuckle at the thought of that couch session.

_So, be honest. What do you miss most?_

_I miss the way my boyfriend sparkles in the sun. Oh, yes, and the fact that he loved me enough to overcome the urge to suck all the blood from my body._

Yeah, that'd be a prime session.

"It's beyond me, Bella. Maybe your mother-"

"Look," Bella said in a flat voice. "I'll go out tonight, if you want. I'll call Jess or Angela."

"That's not what I want," he argued, frustrated. "I don't think I can live through seeing you try harder. I've never seen anyone trying so hard. It hurts to watch."

"I don't understand, Dad. First you're mad because I'm not doing anything, and then you say you don't want me to go out."

"I want you to be happy-no, not even that much. I just want you not to be miserable. I think you'll have a better chance if you get out of Forks."

Bella's eyes came up flashing. I resisted the urge to cheer. Get mad, Bella. I'd take anger over apathy or sadness or nightmares.

"I'm not leaving," she said. She'd better not. It would be hard for me to keep her safe for Edward in Florida. Too much blasted sunshine and wide open spaces. It was impossible to hide in palm trees.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"I'm in my last semester of school-it would screw everything up."

"You're a good student-you'll figure it out."

"I don't want to crowd Mom and Phil."

"Your mother's been dying to have you back."

"Florida is too hot."

Charlie's fist came down on the table again. "We both know what's really going on here, Bella, and it's not good for you." He took a deep breath. "It's been months. No calls, no letters, no contact. You can't keep waiting for him."

Bella glowered at him and I sensed the heat rising in her neck, saw the pink flush through Charlie's eyes on her throat. At some point in my life, that might have excited the monster in me. Now, it just excited me, Leia, Bella's friend.

"I'm not waiting for anything. I don't expect anything," Bella's voice was dead again, speaking words she obviously believed. I wanted to scream at her that he was coming back soon, that he wouldn't be able to keep away. But I didn't know how long Edward could hold off his need for her, if he would come back before Bella descended past the point that she would trust him again.

"Bella-," Charlie began, his voice thick.

"I have to get to school," Bella interrupted, standing up and yanking her untouched breakfast from the table.

"I'll make plans with Jessica," She said as she strapped on her school bag. "Maybe I won't be home for dinner. We'll go to Port Angeles and watch a movie." And she was gone before Charlie could react. Charlie cursed under his breath, but I was grinning. Bella had been jolted out of her apathy.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Chapter Notes:

This will be the last chapter before the events start to shift off the _New Moon_ axis ever so slightly. Major events will still happen, just not in the same manner as SM wrote them and not necessarily on the exact timeline. :)

Don't own Twilight. Love and powdered donuts to SM for her brilliance!

*****

I was perched on the top of the movie theatre in Port Angeles, staring down at Bella. She was sitting on a bench outside the theatre, waiting for Jessica. I knew I was wearing a wry expression. She had picked a zombie movie, obviously hoping to avoid any romance. She had left twice, but I doubted if it was because the movie was too gory for her.

"Was the movie too scary for you?" Jessica asked in annoyance when she finally found Bella outside.

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "I guess I'm just a coward." I knew that was a lie. Bella Swan was the bravest human I'd ever known. Granted I didn't know a lot of them…

"That's funny." Jessica frowned. "I didn't think you _were _scared-I was screaming all the time, but I didn't hear you scream once. So I didn't know why you left."

Bella shrugged. "Just scared."

Jessica relaxed a little, obviously feeling better that Bella had been more scared than she. "That was the scariest movie I think I've ever seen. I'll bet we're going to have nightmares tonight."

"No doubt about that," Bella's voice was full of pain and I suddenly wondered what about the zombie movie had stirred her memories of Edward, because no doubt it had. I pondered this as Bella and Jessica decided to walk to a McDonald's a block away. I sighed and flashed from one rooftop to another, keeping tabs on them. Not that Bella seemed to be quite the trouble magnet she had been when Edward was around, but I wasn't taking any chances.

Jessica was nervous on the darkened street between the theatre and the restaurant. I could sense the slightly elevated heartrate and smell sweat. From Bella, no change. Across the street from the pair was one open business. I saw it when Jessica glanced nervously at the windows covered from inside. There were neon signs, advertisements for different brands of beer, glowing in front of them. The biggest sign, in brilliant green, was the name of the bar-One-Eyed Pete's. I wondered if there was some pirate theme not visible from outside. The metal door was propped open. I could, of course, hear every conversation going on, but I chose to ignore them. It was nothing I wanted to hear.

Jessica wasn't looking anymore, so I switched my sight to Bella's eyes. She was watching four men lounging against the wall beside the propped open door. She glanced back at Jessica, who was moving briskly along the sidewalk. I mentally urged Bella to keep walking too. But she paused, looking back at the four men.

I felt an eerie sense of déjà vu. This was a different road, a different night, but the scene was so much the same. Through Bella's human eyes, I could almost imagine they were the same four men from that fateful night. I knew that Lenny was safely ensconced in the California penal system, but Bella didn't. She stopped and turned toward them.

"Bella?" Jess whispered. "What are you doing?"

I sensed Bella shake her head. "I think I know them…" And then she stepped into the street. What was she _doing_? I was a vampire and memories of that other night, so many months ago, had me wanting to run. Not from danger to me, but because I still remembered my rage, my need to hurt. It had been the first time in my vampire life that I had wanted to hurt someone. Not just the usual urge to have my natural prey, but actually hurt someone.

"Bella, come _on_!" Jessica hissed at Bella and I hissed as well, it was just inaudible to human ears. Bella ignored her, walking slowly forward, adrenaline surging in her veins so strongly that I scented it easily. The smell of fear…or excitement. Fear should have Bella running by now. But she wasn't really afraid, was she? I watched with wide eyed horror as she moved forward until Jessica grabbed her arm.

"Bella! You can't go in a bar!" she hissed.

"I'm not going in," she said absently, shaking Jessica's hand off. "I just want to see something…"

"Are you crazy?" she whispered. "Are you suicidal?"

That question caught my attention, and I shuddered. Was that it? Had she gone beyond any will to live? This was worse than the apathy, the lifelessness. I focused through Jessica's eyes as Bella defended herself weakly.

"No, I'm not." She paused, as if seeing something in Jessica's eyes that startled her. She waved her hand towards the McDonald's. "Go eat," she encouraged. Then she turned away from Jessica, back to the men who were watching with amused, curious eyes. I switched to one of them and watched Bella step forward once and then freeze. Something flickered across her face, almost joy, before she looked around herself as if in shock. As if she'd just realized what she'd been doing. She looked back at Jessica and then shook her head, looking first thoughtful and then oddly disappointed. She stepped forward once again and the joy flared again briefly, followed by a sigh of relief. To say I was confused and angry right now was beyond. If she didn't stop this right now, I was going to have to let her know I was there.

"Hi," one of the men called, his tone both confident and a bit sarcastic. He was fair-skinned and fair-haired, and he stood with the assurance of someone who thought of himself as quite good-looking. I would have laughed if I'd been capable of amusement right now. Compared to any of my brothers, he could have won an audition as the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

"Can I help you with something? You look lost." He grinned and winked.

"No. I'm not lost." Bella stepped forward one more time and I leapt across the street to the roof of the bar. No one noticed the light creak of my landing. I poised on the edge, ready to jump between Bella and her own stupidity if I had to. I listened as she turned down a drink offer from one of the men and then spoke almost shyly.

"From across the street, you looked like someone I knew. Sorry, my mistake."

"That's okay," the confident blonde said. "Stay and hang out with us."

"Thanks, but I can't."

"Oh, just a few minutes."

Bella shook her head and turned away. The blond took a step towards the two girls and I snarled above their heads, loud enough to be heard perhaps by the men, but not by Bella. Two of them looked up in fear and disappeared into the bar. The blonde one took another step. I growled. He definitely heard me this time, because he turned and I saw my shadow through his eyes. I looked like a gargoyle perched there, just out of the neon glow that would have ruined the picture by showing him the teenage girl in the rumpled clothes. Not that I would have been any less of a stone menace, but it wouldn't have caused the reaction it did. He ducked back into the bar with a curse to get the bouncer. I was already across the street again with Jessica and Bella when he dragged the burly man out, pointing at the roof. Neither girl noticed.

Cars are faster than running vampires. Blind ones at least. It took me a while to get back to Forks after Jessica and Bella drove out of Port Angeles. By the time I peeked in Bella's window, I was afraid of what I would see. Bella was asleep, curled up as she usually was on her side in a ball. I slipped in through the window, as Edward always had, and settled into the rocking chair with an inaudible sigh. I sat, asking the exact same question my brother so often wondered, with the same level of anguish for once. What was going on in Bella Swan's head?

The next day was Saturday and Bella was working. I lay on the roof of Newton's and watched the sun play hide and seek in the clouds. I was missing my family terribly. I had promised to call, but I hadn't made good on that yet. I decided that Bella would be perfectly okay at work for a few hours and ran back to the house. I'd only been here a few times since returning to Forks so I decided a bath and a change of clothes was in order before I used my cell phone.

"Leia Rhianna Cullen, you get back here right now." Carlisle's voice was full of distress. I cringed and the comb I was dragging through my wet, clean hair snapped under my suddenly tense fingers. My angel doctor had never barked at me like that before. I must have really made Esme sad.

"I can't, dad. Not yet."

"I know exactly what you're doing," I cringed again, waiting for him to blast me for breaking our promise to Edward. "But chasing after your brother isn't going to do any good. He needs time to get his head in a better place." Oh, wow. They didn't know I was in Forks? Alice must really be covering for me. I suddenly wanted to hug my sister.

"Has he called?" I asked this for two reasons. One, I really wanted to know. I wanted to hate my brother for leaving me. Again. But I had grown up a lot in the last year. I knew my brother didn't love me any less just because he needed to sort out his misguided, brooding vampire thoughts. Unlike me, however, Bella didn't have that reassurance. That was why I was here, to make sure Edward's decisions didn't backfire on him before he figured out that leaving Bella was the stupidest idea of his hundred some odd years on earth.

The second reason was to keep Carlisle thinking that I was hunting for my brother.

"No, but Alice said he's fine. Just…surviving." Carlisle sounded resigned now. I made an annoyed sound. That meant nothing had changed. He was trying his hand at tracking, running after Victoria. Evidently he thought the female vampire might still pose some threat to Bella, so he was using that as an excuse to run away from his family and be completely alone with his misery.

For the next hour I talked with Carlisle and then Esme. My mother begged me to come home and I had a very hard time telling her no. I wasn't going to promise her and then have some crisis arise with Bella, though. Her little episode with the boys at the bar was still bothering me. She was shaking out of her zombie-like progression through life, but I didn't know if it was good or bad. Time would tell.

By the time I finally got off the phone, due to a nearly dead battery, I felt both better and worse. Better for having talked to my parents. Worse for having to tell them I wasn't coming home soon. I was really no better than Edward in that respect. But we were immortal and Bella was not. It was worth a year or two of my life without my family to make sure Bella was okay.

I ran back to Newton's a couple of hours after noon and was startled to find Bella's truck was already gone from the parking lot. I cursed softly and ran along her usual route home until I found her. The truck was stopped and she was standing in the rain staring at…a pair of old, rusty motorcycles?

"Bella, what are you doing?" I muttered this question to myself and leaned back against a tree to see what she would do next. She ran up to the door of the house and knock. A young boy answered the door.

"Bella Swan?" he asked in surprise.

"How much do you want for the bike?" Bella was panting as she asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder toward the bikes.

"Are you serious?" he demanded.

"Of course I am." Bella sounded exasperated and I was beginning to feel that way myself. What in God's name did Bella want with a rusty old motorcycle that I knew probably didn't work?

"They don't work." The boy confirmed my thoughts and I smirked. Bella just sighed impatiently

"How much?"

"If you really want one, just take it. My mom made my dad move them down to the road so they'd get picked up with the garbage."

Bella glanced back at the bikes again. "Are you positive about that?"

"Sure, you want to ask her?" The boy motioned behind him into the house.

"No, I believe you." Bella's response was too quick. No, she would not want the adults discussing Bella Swan's sudden interest in two broken down heaps of scrap metal.

"You want me to help you?" the boy offered. "They're not light."

"Okay, thanks. I only need one, though."

"Might as well take both," the boy said. "Maybe you could scavenge some parts. What are you going to do with them, anyway?" he asked as he helped Bella put the bikes into the back of the truck. "They haven't worked in years."

"I kind of guessed that," Bella said, shrugging. "Maybe I'll take them to Dowling's."

He snorted. "Dowling would charge more to fix them than they'd be worth running."

"You know what? That's okay. I know someone who builds cars." Bella sounded like she been hit with a sudden inspiration, her gaze taking in her old truck. I felt a twinge of unease. I climbed into the back of the truck as Bella climbed into the cab. It wasn't dark out, but I was able to tuck myself against the front side of the bed, where she wouldn't see me if she bothered to look back to check the bikes. There was no way she was going to beat me home. I wanted to know what was going on in her head.

When she got to the house, after driving faster than I'd ever known her to drive, she ran into the house and called her father at work.

"Chief Swan, please. It's Bella."

"Oh, hey, Bella," Deputy Steve said affably. "I'll go get him."

"What's wrong, Bella?" Charlie demanded as soon as he picked up the phone, asking the very question I wanted to ask.

"Can't I call you at work without there being an emergency?"

He was quiet for a minute. "Younever have before. _Is _there an emergency?"

"No. I just wanted directions to the Blacks' place-I'm not sure I can remember the way. I want to visit Jacob. I haven't seen him in months."

When Charlie spoke again, his voice was much happier. "That's a great idea, Bells. Do you have a pen?"

Bella wanted to go to La Push? Oh, that was so not an option. I couldn't follow her there and I wasn't about to let her out of my sight thinking whatever crazy thoughts she was thinking. I didn't have a choice any more. It was time to let Bella know one of the Cullens, at least, had come home.

Chapter End Notes:

Muahahaha!


	3. Chapter 3

I watched through Bella's eyes as she wrote down directions to Billy Black's home and then ran back out the door towards her truck. I knew she saw me, perched on the hood twirling the radiator cap in my hands, because she froze.

"Wow...the hallucinations just keep getting better." She muttered this under her breath.

"What hallucinations?" I asked it casually, as if I hadn't appeared out of thin air after being gone for three and a half months. She jumped in surprise.

"Wow, voices and visions with voices. No offense, Leia, but I liked Edward's voice better. Not that it isn't great to be seeing you, but next time can I see and hear Edward, too?" Bella said this calmly and continued walking to her truck, her wide, unblinking eyes not leaving my form.

"You've been hearing Edward's voice?" I knew this was important, somehow, though the conversation seemed a little surreal given the circumstances. Or maybe not. Maybe Bella had been driven mad by Edward's leaving. I didn't know how I would handle that, or how Edward would handle it when I hunted him down and wrapped a tire iron around his head.

"Last night, when I thought about doing something stupid. There he was, growling in my ear. And now, when I'm thinking of doing something else stupid, you show up. Aren't you going to growl at me, too?" Ah, so that explained her erractic behavior last night and the odd joy I had seen in her eyes. Oh, this could be very bad.

"Bella, sweetheart, I'm not a hallucination. I'm really here. I would have been here sooner but they were watching me like a hawk for a few months." I put as much regret into my tone as I could, sliding off the hood of the truck and stepping towards her. I inhaled deeply and let her scent burn a path down my throat. It wasn't too bad, but then I'd been shadowing her for several days.

"You aren't wearing your sunglasses. You are always wearing your glasses in my dreams." Bella's voice was shaking and she was blinking rapidly now, as if trying to clear her vision. I smiled.

"I don't usually wear my sunglasses unless I need the reflections, but they would really come in handy right now because I need to see what's going on in those eyes of yours, Bella Swan. Motorcycles?!" My smile melted into a disapproving frown. Bella didn't respond. Instead, she reached out with her warm hand and very gently touched my cheek with her fingertips. And then she threw herself at me with a gasp. I was startled, but my arms instantly came up to catch her, chanting to myself to be careful. Her gasp immediately turned into deep, soul-rending sobs. I trembled a bit as I caught her up easily, this girl who was about the same size as I was, and carried her back into the house, out of the steady drizzle. I settled on the couch with her in my lap and let her cry herself out, stroking her hair and murmuring nonsense as Esme had done for me nearly four months ago.

"I'm so...sorry. I'm just...so...happy to see you!" Bella managed to get this out between sobs. I sighed softly.

"It's okay, Bella. Everything's going to be okay." My throat was burning a little more now, with her so close to me and so very warm. I winced and leaned away from her a little. She looked up at me and her sobs stopped as she gazed at my eyes, which were coal black. I smiled apologetically. "Sorry, sweetheart, I haven't hunted in a couple of weeks. But I'm fine, I promise."

"Sorry, sorry." She tried to crawl out of my lap but I held her there. I could manage this, to be comforting. I would have to go hunting tonight, but now there were more important things to discuss. Bella laid her head against my shoulder and shuddered.

"Now, do you want to tell me why you've decided to rebuild a pair of rusty old bikes?" I let a little amusement color my tone, hoping she would be candid with me. She sighed.

"I told you, when I do something I shouldn't, something reckless, I can hear his voice in my head. I don't think I'm crazy, Leia. At least I hope not." Her voice was small. I stroked her hair and sighed.

"Oh, Bella. What are we going to do with you. You're a mess." I felt her stiffen against me.

"I'm trying, okay. What did you expect? That I'd be skipping around whistling show tunes? You know me better than that." Her voice was a pained whisper. I shook my head.

"Actually, I was kind of expecting to find you a mess. I really was hoping, I suppose, that you might prove me wrong. It would serve him right if you actually did run down that stupid path." I knew my words were cryptic, but Bella flinched at the mention of _him_. She knew what _him_ I was talking about.

"He left me, Leia. He didn't want me anymore." Her voice was borderline hysterical. I snorted softly.

"And you believed him when he said that?" I held her away from me so she could see my face. "Bella, he left because he decided it was the right thing to do, the best thing for you. After Jasper and...I...almost attacked you at your party...well, I know how he thinks, Bella."

She curled up in my lap then, almost childishly covering her ears with her hands as she began to weep, silently this time. No, it wasn't a good time to discuss Edward right now. There was still the problem of the motorcycles. Maybe I could distract her from them, but if not, well Rosalie had taught me well enough that, given the right parts and a good pair of eyes to look through I could repair almost anything mechanical. But even if I helped Bella rebuild the old bikes, I couldn't teach her how to ride one. Knowing Bella, she would end up bleeding before she got more than ten feet. I really didn't want to give Edward a reason to say I told you so.

I sat with Bella until I heard Charlie's cruiser. I had to pry her off my lap.

"Don't leave me, please Leia." Her pleading broke my heart and I leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Bella, I don't think it'd be a good thing to tell Charlie I'm here. When he learns my family isn't back, he'll assume I'm a runaway. I don't want to put him on the spot like that. I'll go hunting and be back in a couple of hours, I promise. Leave your window unlocked for me." For just a moment I thought she would break down again, but she finally nodded and let me go.

As I ran away from the house I heard her explaining to Charlie that she had decided not to go to the Blacks tonight because she'd remembered an essay she had due on Monday at school. I heard Charlie sigh dejectedly and almost felt bad for being the indirect cause of his disappointment. Almost. That evening, after everything was quiet, I slipped through Bella's window. She was awake, sitting back against her pillows. She sighed in relief when I appeared. I settled into the rocking chair.

"Bella, I promise not to disappear on you without giving you a good reason and an ETA. You're my best friend and unlike some of my family, I believe that means working around and through our differences instead of running away from them." My words were quiet and only slightly bitter.

"Love you, Lei." Bella voice was thick with tears and broke once. I got up and moved to the bed. I wrapped Bella up in her quilt and then let her snuggle against me as she fell asleep. I doubted it was me she was dreaming of when she clutched at me and cried out in her dreams. My brother would have a lot of groveling to do when he came back. Not if, I tried to convince myself, when.

Two weeks later

Bella was sitting on the floor of the surprisingly roomy tool shed behind the house down the street from her house. The house had been abandoned for years, but the roof on the shed was still intact so it made a perfect place for hiding and working on the bikes. I had been able to sidetrack Bella for almost a week before she insisted on calling Jacob and having him help us with the bikes. He was warm and funny and he could make Bella smile, so I had to admit, grudgingly, that he might be good to have around.

Jacob had muttered an apology under his breath when he'd arrived, an apology for the fact that his father would probably have a heart attack if he knew his Quileute son was fraternizing with a Cullen. Evidently he still didn't really believe in the 'old scary stories' he'd once told Bella. But for his father's sake and mine, he had agreed not to mention my presence at these little get togethers to his father or Bella's.

Jacob Black smelled strongly of wolf, so much so that I could have sworn he'd been rolling around in a wolf's den within the past two hours. It really wasn't a pleasant smell in close quarters, but I managed to stop myself from wrinkling my nose in disgust. After prom last year, Edward had given me the full story on the Quileutes. When he and Carlisle had made the treaty with Ephraim Black two generations ago, there had been shape shifters in the tribe. Literal werewolves. I knew Jacob was Ephraim's grandson, so I wondered how deep the blood went. I had heard the rumors running around town of a huge beast that everyone was taking to be an oversized black bear and I was beginning to suspect it might be something different.

Bella was watching in fascination as Jacob and I took apart the two bikes she had dragged home. It had been a lot easier to convince Jacob to come help with this project than it should have been. All Bella had done was tell him she needed him to help with a secret project that required his mechanical expertise. I had worried a little about his motivations for helping us out at first. Edward had mentioned that Jacob had a crush on Bella once, after the prom last spring. But I had relaxed when Jacob had mentioned his girlfriend. Evidently they'd only been going out for a couple of weeks, but Jacob seemed happily infatuated with Sarah Talldeer.

"Okay, I've got a list of things we need for the Sprint." Jacob announced, and I nodded.

"I've got this one. So it's off to the junkyard?"

"You didn't write anything down?" Jacob looked surprised. When we'd begun working three hours ago, he had been skeptical of my knowledge of mechanics. I didn't blame him, really. How many legally blind sixteen year old girls would know anything about rebuilding a tricycle, much less a motorcycle? I had surprised him by giving him a verbal schematic layout of the little red cycle as I'd pulled it apart. We'd worked in comfortable silence after that. Well, I was silent. Jacob and Bella had joked around. It was good to see Bella smile.

Bella chuckled. "She's got a better memory than your father, Jake, trust me. She won't forget anything. Then again, you might want to tell Jake what you need, Leia, so he can write it down. You're laying low so I don't think you want to go to the parts store with us." Bella had pushed herself up from her floor. I shrugged.

"I'll give you a list after we see what we can find at the junkyard."

At the junkyard, we were surprised to find a lot of parts that we needed despite the fact that we had to wipe mud off of every piece to double check. I was humming happily as I ran my hands over each piece, ignoring the pouring rain and ankle deep muck. Bella just stood with her umbrella and grumbled about the mess. I heard her compare my obvious joy to that of a pig wallowing in mud. I had just giggled and tossed another bit of scrap into the pile she was guarding near the truck.

I was so pleased with our haul that I forgot myself later and picked up an armload to put in the truck. I heard Jacob gasp and it hit me then that I had perhaps one hundred pounds worth of metal in my arms. I staggered then and let most of it tumble to the ground, but I don't know how much that helped. I watched Jacob closely through Bella's eyes for the rest of the day. He kept glancing at me with wary, confused eyes.

"Your friend is amazing, Bells. She's an awesome mechanic, has a photographic memory and can lift her own weight in scrap metal like it was a piece of toast." Jacob was talking to Bella as they waited it the auto parts store for someone to help them. Bella glanced at him and laughed. It sounded almost natural.

"Yeah, she's great. I think that last thing was just an adrenaline rush, though, happy that we found so much stuff for free. You saw how she dropped most of it as soon as she picked it up. I hope she didn't hurt her back or something." That didn't seem to convince Jacob, but he nodded and turned to give our lists to the man behind the counter. It was almost dark when we got everything back to the shed. Bella and Jacob both had to head to the Swan house to clean up for dinner with Charlie and Billy, who would be back from fishing soon.

The next two weeks were actually fun. I worked on the little red motorcycle most days, letting Bella go to school without supervision. She was making an effort to be part of the world now and not just surviving. She even went out with Angela Weber and Ben Chaney that next Friday. I did follow her into Port Angeles that night, but she didn't do anything reckless. I even sat patiently one evening that Charlie and Bella drove down to La Push for dinner with the Blacks. Not an easy thing for me to do, but I didn't want to seem like a tyrant.

Jacob and Bella continued to joke around, making up some game to calculate their mental ages based on things like height and the ability to cook a decent meal. It was amusing to listen to them. I didn't mind the fact that the conversation flowed around me more than to me. Jacob still wasn't really comfortable around me and I pretended to need a lot of extra concentration for the bike. Just hearing Bella's laughter was enough to make me happy to have him there.

The bikes were coming along nicely. I'd actually finished putting Bella's together, but I had pulled it back apart and tweaked the fittings, making sure that my rebuild didn't seem any further along than Jacob's when he was around, which was usually just a few hours on Saturdays and Sundays. It wasn't until that the third Sunday that things began to get really interesting. Adam Talldeer followed Jacob from La Push.

I had never met any of the Talldeers. In point of fact, Jacob was the only Quileute that I had ever met. I had seen Billy Black through Bella's eyes, from a distance, but I doubted the Quileute Elder would have sat calmly discussing the day's catch with Charlie if he'd known a Cullen was perched on the roof of the house.

Both Bella and I knew a little something about the Talldeers. Jacob spoke often of his girlfriend and her family. Sarah and Adam were twins, actually a year older than Jacob. Their mother had died when they were only eight, leaving David Talldeer to raise his children alone. Billy Black and David Talldeer had become friends due to their similar circumstances and their children had been friends from a young age. Jacob hadn't told Adam or Sarah about his weekend visits, wanting the finished motorcycle he was working on to be a surprise.

"Quiet." I said this softly as I heard someone approaching the tool shed from the woods. Bella's eyes widened and she immediately stopped mixing the can of paint for her little red cycle. Jacob had just settled in front of his Harley. He tilted his head at me, the wrench he was holding frozen in mid air, and mouthed 'Why?'

"Someone's coming." I whispered and jerked my thumb over my shoulder. I saw Jacob pause and his expression was puzzled as he listened. He shook his head and mouthed, 'I don't hear anything.' Bella made a cutting motion across her throat just a second before a voice outside called from a distance.

"Jake? I know I saw you sneak this way, bro." Jacob cursed.

"That's Adam. I knew he wouldn't let it go. Well, there goes the surprise." I didn't stop him as he disappeared out the door, but Bella and I exchanged worried glances. It was a little late for me to disappear, though. I heard Jacob talking to his friend.

"Um, hey Adam. Can't a man work on a top secret project without you sticking your nose in?" Jacob sounded annoyed. I heard a soft snort.

"Top secret project, huh? Sarah's convinced you're cheating on her with Bella Swan. That or you're running with Sam and his cronies. I told her no way on both counts, but I had to check. She's my sister." Adam sounded amused. They were getting closer. I tensed when the door to the tool shed opened. Jacob preceded Adam into the room.

"Wow, this is definitely better than cheating on Sarah. I might actually let you live." The tall boy standing in the door resembled Jacob in that he had glossy black hair and beautiful russet skin. His hair was cut shorter than Jake's, stopping short of his shoulders, with one lock falling haphazardly into his eyes. He was tall and slender, but his t-shirt fit him well, showing off a lean, muscular build. He had the same slightly awkward look of a teenager just starting to grow into the man that Jacob did, but carried himself with confidence. He leaned against the door frame and surveyed our work space with a lazy grin.

"Yeah, it was supposed to be a surprise, something for all three of us. The Harley will be mine and Leia's rebuilding the red bike for Bella." Jacob's tone was proud. Adam nodded and then eyed me. He knew Bella from the few times she had been to La Push. He stepped forward with a questioning smile.

"Hi, I'm Adam Talldeer. And you are?"

I had my head down, my hair half covering my face. I didn't look up, only murmuring my name. "I'm Leia Cullen."

I watched through Bella's eyes as she watched Adam, so I saw him stiffen in surprise and throw a shocked glance at Jacob. Jacob just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, Leia's got a real talent with mechanical things. She's legally blind, so it's pretty amazing to watch her work."

"Blind?" Adam seemed very surprised by that news. Jacob smirked and nodded.

"But she's a Cullen. I didn't think her kind had any…flaws." Adam whispered this to Jacob in a tone that most humans wouldn't have been able to hear from across the room. After a short mental debate, I decided to enlighten him a little bit. I just hoped my vanity wouldn't backfire on me.

"Yes, I'm blind. I can hear pretty well though." I said this sarcastically, causing both boys to start guiltily. Bella giggled behind me. Jacob hissed in a voice even quieter than Adam's had been.

"You can't believe those crazy stories?"

Adam looked over at me again and I raised my head, aiming my gaze almost directly at him. I wondered what he'd make of my golden eyes if he could see them. I almost wanted to take of my glasses just to see. He gazed at my face for a moment before shrugging at Jacob and moving forward into the room, going to examine Jacob's bike. I really longed for Edward right now. I wanted so badly to know what Adam Talldeer was thinking. Would he tell his father, or Jacob's that I was here?

The next hour or so was rather awkward, with Adam and Jacob muttering over his bike and Bella and I poking around at hers. Adam kept staring at me, just quick glances at first and then longer gazes when I didn't seem to notice. He didn't look nervous, but he did look speculative and occasionally dazed. Oddly enough, it was Bella who tried to break the ice.

"I know you love dancing in almost any form, Leia. Adam's youth champion Fancy Dancer for Washington State, two years running." She said this, glancing at Adam with a shy smile. Ah, that explained Adam's confident movements. Compared to Jacob's somewhat awkward loping gait, he moved with a loose grace around the space. Adam's eyes were already on my face at the moment, so I tilted my face to smile tentatively at him, careful to keep my teeth behind my lips.

"Really? Native American dancing has always fascinated me. I loved watching the Inu-Yupiaq Dancers in Alaska. I know it doesn't compare much with the Fancy Dancing here, but…' I trailed off, waiting for his response. He blinked a couple of times, his brow furrowed in confusion. He paused for a moment before seeming to decide something with himself. His expression cleared and he smiled.

"I got to see them dance a couple of times at competitions. Yeah, they're great."

We began to compare the dancing of his people and the dancing of the Alaskan troupe. I was shocked and delighted to learn that he had studied ballet himself for a couple of years at the suggestion of one of his teachers. Much to the ribbing of his friends on the reservation, obviously, from the way Jacob teased him about it when he mentioned it. Adam didn't seem to mind the teasing. As he relaxed, his easy-going personality began to shine through. He had us all laughing by the time he checked his watch and jumped up.

"Well, I need to get my butt back to the rez before Sarah thinks I got lost and sends out a search party. You coming with me, Jake?" He hovered in the entrance to the tool shed as Jacob adjusted another fitting. Jacob sighed when he dropped the wrench and stood himself.

"Yeah, best I come back with you and explain things to Sarah. You couldn't keep a secret from her if the fate of the world depended on it." Adam sighed and shrugged, as if Jacob had spoken the complete truth and he was resigned to it. Evidently he was very close to his sister.

"It was nice meeting you, Leia." Adam's parting words were quiet and sincere as he and Jacob stepped from the shed. I listened as he and Jacob started discussing me almost immediately and followed their conversation for as long as they were in my earshot, which was quite a while. I was relieved when Adam promised not to tell his father about me being with Bella. But would he keep that secret from Sarah Talldeer and if not, what would Sarah do?

"Well, that was different. I really like Adam. He's like La Push's version of you, always trying to make other people smile, to keep the peace. But he's got people he'll defend to the death, too. Like his sister and Jacob. Like you with your family." Bella's words surprised me.

"You're part of that family, I hope you know that Bells. You're my best friend." I hoped she realized that, because she was the only person that I was making smile these days. I had put the happiness of my family on the shelf in favor of this human girl. I often wondered if I was doing the right thing. I couldn't help but think so when Bella leaned over and hugged me briefly before she got up herself.

"Time to make dinner for Charlie. I'll see you at bedtime."

Chapter End Notes:

Okay, so I'm obviously Team Edward. I don't despise Jacob, nor do I begrudge the wolves their place in the story. I just don't like love triangles. So, Jacob is happily dating and I've introduced another pair of new characters that will play bigger roles through the series.


	4. Chapter 4

The next weekend, I found myself alone in the tool shed Saturday afternoon while Jacob, Sarah, Adam and Bella were all off at a movie. It was sunny outside, so I didn't even dare venture out, even just to shadow them to the theatre. Evidently the secret of my presence in Forks was still a secret. I had listened to the conversations between the four of them and was pleased when my name never came up in Sarah's presence. Adam did corner Bella in the kitchen while she was making Charlie a sandwich to ask where I was. I smiled when Bella just rolled her eyes and informed him that I did have a home to go to.

The minute the Quiluete Elders discovered I was back in the area, the Quileute kids would stop coming to visit with Bella. I was so relieved to see her enjoying herself with friends again, I wanted to prolong that day as long as possible. Once it came, she would have to go to La Push to visit them and I would be left wondering if she was in danger. I didn't know if I would end up being the tyrant I was trying to avoid. Over the last few weeks, there had been two more reliable reports of a large, black animal prowling the forests around Forks and down nearer La Push. I was nervous that Bella's track record of being the center of dangerous situations would draw this creature to her.

I had taken to wearing my cell phone, since all of my siblings except for Edward tended to call and demand, or plead depending on the person calling, for me to go home to Esme. I didn't ignore the calls now, because I missed all of them and just hearing their voices was enough to keep me sane when I was thinking too hard about Edward or Bella. They were breaking my heart. Despite Bella's more cheerful days, her nights were still filled with tears and screams. When I heard this specific ringtone, however, I dropped the wrench I was holding. Bella's decision to go to the movies with the Quiluetes was the best idea ever.

"'Lo?" I answered the phone cautiously.

"Hello, Lei."

"Um, Edward, hi."

"What are you up too, little sister? Carlisle said you weren't at home." The obvious reprimand in his voice caused an automatic shame response that I fought to push down.

"Pot, kettle." My tone was properly sarcastic, I thought. He sighed.

"Okay, okay. So, what are you doing, then, that's so interesting it's kept you away?" Oh, maybe I should let him yell at me for leaving Esme and Carlisle instead. I cringed and told a half truth.

"Actually, I'm rebuilding a motorcycle." There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"You're doing what?" His voice was incredulous. I giggled. It wasn't often I got to surprise my brother.

"I'm channeling Rosalie. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Leia, I'm not buying that. You can't even ride one, why would you rebuild it?" Oh, the curiosity was killing him. I grinned and rapped my wrench against the muffler pipe on the Harley. The metal rang nicely.

"Who's to say I can't ride one? All I need is someone willing to drive behind me and I could have a lovely cross country trek." Edward snorted softly.

"I remember you tried that once and Rosalie spent three weeks repairing the damage to the Jeep."

"I blame that all on Emmett. He's the one that insisted I could learn to drive. If he'd been paying attention to the road instead of staring at Rosalie in the rear view mirror half the time, I would've done just fine. I still want to try that again, but with you or Jasper since I could trust you two to watch the road for me." I laughed, remembering that episode. It had been during our first couple of months in Forks.

"Not a chance, unless you want to rebuild an old junker that none of us values to try that on." His voice was slightly amused, but it there was a still a dull tone underlying it. Oh yes, my Edward was miserable. It took everything I had not to demand that _he_ come home. To Bella.

"Would you come home if I did?" My question was quiet. He was silent for the longest moment before he answered.

"Not…now. Soon, Leia." His voice actually broke and I wished I was able to weep real tears so I could cry for him. As much as I was hurting, he was feeling everything deeper than I was, as deeply as Bella.

"I'll hold you to that, brother." After that, there didn't seem to be anything else to say. Edward whispered a quiet goodbye and hung up. I screamed in frustration and flung the wrench with all my strength, sending it through the side of the tool shed and tumbling into the woods behind it.

I was curled up in the corner, my arms wrapped around my knees, when Bella and Adam came into the shed laughing. I had heard them coming, but I hadn't tuned in to their conversation. I was wallowing in my sorrow. Evidently it was obvious on my face when they came in. Bella's laughter stopped and she moved towards me faster than she should.

"Don't breathe!" She shouted this in panic as she tripped over something that sent her tumbling. I probably could have caught her, but I could see through Adam's eyes that she wasn't going to impale herself on anything, so I forced myself not to expose my speed and did, indeed, shut down my lungs. She caught herself on her hands and both Adam and I were next to her, helping her up. She grimaced and immediately jammed her right palm against her jeans.

"I'm sorry. There was a nail." I clenched my teeth together. Despite not breathing, I knew she was bleeding. Not heavily, but it was enough. Adam glanced at the boards under our feet and chuckled wryly.

"Yeah, I think there are a lot of exposed nail heads, here. It's a really old building. Would have been better to do this in Jake's garage." He said this and then he made a face and glanced sideways at me. "Sorry, Leia, maybe not such a good idea either."

"Don't apologize, Adam. It's a…complicated situation." I really shouldn't have opened my mouth. The tang of blood across my tongue made my thirst flare and I had to take a step back. Bella immediately pushed back against Adam and made for the door.

"I'll just go clean this up. Be right back," she muttered and I expected Adam to follow her. Actually, I was really hoping he would. I needed to make a quick exit. Instead, he turned back and looked at me. I took a shallow breath and weathered the punch of sweet flavor hovering in the room with a carefully blank expression.

"She really is clumsy." Adam's tone was amused, but I felt his eyes on me. I couldn't move towards the open window because the sun was still shining. Feel the burn, I thought to myself with a slightly hysterical tone. Adam's strong heart was thudding steadily not eight feet from me and I found my feet tapping out a rhythm that matched it almost unconsciously.

"Hmmm, yes. She has a problem walking across perfectly flat surfaces without tripping." I managed a pained smile for him and to my consternation, he stepped closer.

"Are you okay? You looked a little…sad when we came in."

"It's nothing much. My brother called and I miss him." I told the truth.

"You're really a little young to be living here all alone, aren't you? Didn't the rest of your family move away a while back?" I sighed, nodding.

"Yeah, well, I'm older than I look. But they don't like me being out on my own. Being the baby sister has its perks, but the overprotective tendencies are not one of them. I'm just here to visit Bella for a while." Adam hmmed softly and nodded.

"So…um…you said the whole…situation with my people and your family is complicated. Is that why Charlie doesn't know you're here? So he can't tell Billy or my dad?" His tone was casual, but I knew his questions were very serious. I grimaced slightly.

"Yes, that's the most important reason. Honestly, would your father let you come here if he knew I was hanging out with Bella?" I asked this with a wry smile. He shook his head and sighed.

"No. So…you know why…?" he trailed off. He was hedging around the point of the conversation. He wanted to know if the stories were real, if I was the monster his father warned him about.

"Do I know that the reason they don't like my family is because they think we're vampires? Yes. I'm aware of that. I'm also aware that your ancestors could turn into wolves." I put as much skepticism into my voice as I could without seeming to insult his tribe's beliefs. I sensed him put his hand up to rub the back of his neck. He looked at me and I could make out the sheepish expression on his face in the reflection of my sunglasses. Yes, Adam Talldeer, its best if you think all of it sounds silly.

"Yeah, it's a little farfetched. I mean, if you were a vampire you'd have been on Bella in a flash when she was bleeding there, I guess, right?" His words were apologetic. I smiled widely at him, flashing a full set of razor sharp teeth. He froze as if dazed and I let my lips slide back over my teeth. I couldn't resist the warning. I didn't want him to believe I was a monster, but I was still dangerous.

I knew that his questions about me and my family wouldn't stop because of this conversation. He might believe, for now, that his father's beliefs were only fairy tales and hokum, but I had an odd premonition that he was going to be a believer in the very near future. Of course that would mean he would no longer be so amiable.

"Perhaps." I sat on the seat of the completed little red bike and tapped my fingers against my thigh, following the rhythm of his heart still. I waited, letting him chose whether to close the conversation or not. He stood quietly for a long moment and then he changed the subject to dancing.

"Bella says you're an amazing dancer. Says you choreograph your own stuff too. I was thinking maybe we could share creative juice sometime. I'd love to see what you think of Fancy Dance."

Oh, Bella you are evil, I thought. She had handed Adam Talldeer the one thing about me that he could use to interest me when I should be withdrawing for my own good and his. I could tell the sun had slid behind a cloud outside, so I moved closer to the window for a deep breath of fresh air. I perched on the crumbling window sill and turned a smile on Adam. Bella slipped back into the room at that moment, so I switch my vision to hers so I could see Adam again. He was watching me expectantly.

"I would love to see you dance and I never turn down a chance to exchange ideas. The only problem will be finding a place to work. I can't exactly go to La Push and you can't exactly come to my house. Stupid treaty." I muttered the last under my breath, but obviously not quietly enough. I heard his heart skip a little and the expression on his face was an odd mixture of fascination and mild disbelief.

I didn't get a chance to wonder exactly what Adam thought about my slip because he suddenly suggested that he go. He seemed oddly quiet and didn't argue when Bella insisted on taking him home, since Jake and Sarah had the Talldeer's old pickup. I sighed in relief when they left. I was able to escape the tool shed to hunt down the deer whose heart I'd been tracking for the last fifteen minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

Adam's POV

As I stepped out of the tool shed, I heard the faint sound of crunching vegetation and realized that Leia had escaped through the back window of the shed. I wondered, my mind still in shock, if she was going to find some animal to eat, or suck dry of blood or whatever vampires did. The last fifteen minutes had been a real eye opener for me. It wasn't every day you got confirmation that the stories you'd been told as a child to scare you into eating your vegtables and brushing your teeth before bed weren't just fairytales.

I had always wanted to believe the stories told around the campfires by my tribe's elders to be more than just stories. I was a dreamer, my father liked to say, and the thought that our people had once been able to shapeshift into wolves was a great fantasy. But with the stories about men changing into wolves came tales of the cold ones, the vampires. Those monsters that lived off the blood of humans. The story about the treaty our people had made with the Cullen's over sixty years ago said the Cullen's were different, less dangerous than their roaming brethren because they lived off the blood of animals. But still dangerous, which was why the treaty was in place to keep them off our lands.

So, what had happened to change me from someone that wanted to believe in those stories into a true believer? There were a multitude of hints, but they only pointed to Leia Cullen being something beyond human. No, I had seen something that made her fit into the stories my father told. Leia Cullen glittered in the sun, just like the Cold Woman in the story of the third wife.

I don't think she knew I'd seen her. She had waited for the sun to slip behind a cloud before she'd moved to the window. I'd watched her draw a deep breath, the first since before Bella had started bleeding, and then perch on the window sill. Just as Bella returned to the shed, I had watched as a ray of sun broke through the clouds and danced across Leia's arm and face. Just for two heartbeats, but it had been long enough.

Leia Cullen was a beautiful creature. The first time I had seen her, I think I might have stared a little too long. It was hard to tell her true age, at least with the glasses she always wore. She was average height for a teenage girl with just the barest hint of a woman's curves on her slender frame. A dancer's body. She could have been as young as twelve or as old as eighteen, though the dark curls falling around her face made her seem younger. She acted a little old for a teenager though.

It was obvious that Leia Cullen loved Bella Swan like a sister and that the feeling was mutual. I knew, of course, as every Quileute did, that Bella Swan and Edward Cullen had been dating before the Cullen's had pulled up a few months back and disappeared. It had been one of our own, Sam Uley, who had found her lost in the woods after they'd gone, heartbroken and unresponsive. I still sensed a deep sadness in Bella that made me try very hard to make her smile.

"You sure you're okay, Bells? I don't mind calling Sarah. She and Jake are probably making out, so it would give me great pleasure to interrupt them." I said that with a smirk and saw Bella attempt a smile. She was worried about something, though, so it didn't reach her eyes.

"No, I'm good. I don't think Leia wants company right now, anyway."

"Actually, she said was sad because her brother called and she's missing him. I'd think company would be preferable." My quiet suggestion made Bella's already pale complexion turn chalky.

"Did she...mention which brother?" Ah, touchy subject.

"No, she didn't. But I'm curious...is her family coming back to Forks or is she just here to visit?" I probably shouldn't prod at such a tender spot, but I really needed to know.

"She's just...visiting me. I don't know if she'll be staying much longer. I really should tell her to go home. Her family misses her, too, I'm certain." Bella's voice was laced with sadness and a hint of fear. Despite her brave words, she really didn't want Leia to leave.

"How old is she? She seems a little young to be away from home."

"She recently turned sixteen, I think." Bella said this, but her tone was wry. "She's a lot more mature than most teenagers. Her parents trust her a lot."

"She must be an extraordinary person to be so independent. I mean, at her age and with her handicap." I suggested this as sincerely as possible. Bella's mouth quirked up at the corners.

"You have no idea."

Actually, I was beginning to get an idea. What I was going to have to decide was what I was going to do with my newfound knowledge. I had two options, really. I could tell my father that Leia Cullen was in town or I could keep my mouth shut and get to know this frightening, intriguing creature. The deciding factor, as usual, would be my sister.

Once Bella dropped me off, I went to my bedroom and threw myself on my bed. My room was spotless. Every book was in place, my clothes folded neatly and put away, and my dance regalia was hung like pieces of art on my walls. My sister, oddly enough, was the messy one in the family. She cooked and I cleaned. Since I liked to eat and she hated to clean, it was a good tradeoff.

I had some homework I should be doing and I still needed to get my hour of dance practice in for the day, but I didn't think I'd be able to focus on either. So I pulled my old, worn copy of the Lord of the Rings off the bedside table and lost myself for an hour in the world of hobbits, elves and men.

"Adam?" My sister called from the front room, her voice full of concern. I figured she would know I was pondering something serious. My sister and I had an odd connection. It wasn't the kind of connection that had us finishing each other's sentences or creating some kind of odd 'twinspeak' language. Nothing that weird. We just had an odd sort of sixth sense about each other's moods.

"In my room."

"Dad not back yet?" Sarah plopped down in my desk chair, looking like a model for one of those paintings of fresh, beautiful Native American women that they sold in novelty shops with long glossy black hair, cinnamon skin and perfect features. I snorted softly.

"Day like today, he'll be on the water til the sun's down. So, did you and Jacob do anything interesting?" I put my book down and eyed her with a knowing grin. She blushed, but didn't answer my question.

"So, what'd you and Bella do after we dropped you off? You know dad and Charlie are both hoping you two will hit it off." I rolled my eyes.

"Neither one of them are exactly subtle about it. I really don't think she's ready to date again, though. She just needs a friend or two." Both of us were quiet for a moment, before Sarah gave me _that_ look. The one that said she was waiting for me to tell her what was on my mind. I sighed.

"If I tell you something, do you swear not to run to dad with it until I've got it all figured out?"

"Easy promise to keep when you've got enough blackmail material on me to get me sent to military school." Sarah's chuckle was genuine. Jacob was right in saying I couldn't keep a secret from Sarah, but it worked both ways. I sat up and eyed her seriously. Her amusement turned back into concern and she reached out to put a hand on my knee.

"I promise not to say anything, Adam. Not even to Jacob, if that's what you need." Her reassurance was comforting, but not necessary.

"He already knows. Sarah, Leia Cullen is in town, visiting Bella Swan."

"Oh." That was all Sarah said for a while. I lay back against my pillows, hands behind my head, just watching the emotions run across her face. Horror, as she undoubtedly remembered the stories our father told. Disbelief, as she probably thought as I had how silly those stories seemed in the light of day. It was the worry that made her speak. "Is she truly as beautiful as they say?"

"Yeah. But not to worry, Jacob has eyes only for you, I promise." I laughed softly, making a joke out of her concern. She glared at me, but I felt her relief.

"If she's visiting with Bella, why doesn't Charlie know? Because I know he'd've said something to dad or Billy and the whole rez would know."

"She and Bella hang out in that old tool shed where we're rebuilding the bikes and at Bella's house when Charlie's not home. Bella said Leia's worried about Charlie telling our parents because she knows we'll be told we can't visit them anymore if they know a Cullen's back in town."

"So she knows about the 'treaty'" Sarah said this with sarcasm. She was one of the few on the rez that verbally expressed her displeasure when the edict came down from the elders that no one was to use the hospital in Forks while Carlisle Cullen was working there. The longer ride to Port Angeles or Hoquiam could very well have cost the life of someone in an emergency, so she hadn't been alone in her disgust for certain tribal laws.

"She seems aware of it, yeah." I said this quietly, wondering if Sarah would see this as significant as I did. If there was no truth to the stories, then the Cullen's would simply think of our tribe as odd and hateful. But Leia understood the 'complicated' situation between our two peoples, no doubt better than we did. I saw Sarah's eyebrows draw together in confusion and knew she'd drawn the same conclusion.

"Well that's a disturbing bit of news. So…what exactly do you plan to do now?"

"You know me and a good mystery. I'm going dig until I find the truth." I said this with a shrug. Sarah sighed softly.

"What I think is that you read too many fantasy novels. You're actually hoping she turns out to be some kind of not-human creature, aren't you?" My sister knew me pretty well. I grinned.

"How many people can say they've befriended a vampire and lived?" Sarah reached out and shoved me in the chest with a disgusted groan.

"You're hopeless! Just remember that if she turns out to be a vampire, you just might turn into a wolf one day." Sarah threatened, but her tone said she didn't really believe that. I laughed and hit her with a pillow.

"Bring it on! Being a werewolf would be awesome!"

"Gah, stupid teenage boys." Sarah got up, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to make dinner. Would you like yours served on a plate or in a bowl on the floor?"

She left the room without waiting for an answer and I chuckled softly, but my mind was working furiously. I had an idea for where Leia and I could go to do some dancing, but I would have to make a couple of phone calls first. It would make a great cover with dad, too, since I had mentioned wanting to take some more dance lessons in Forks. I bounced off the bed and went to hunt down a phone book.

The next day, Sarah insisted on meeting Leia. I had arranged for us to use the dance studio downtown, which was usually closed on Sundays, so we made plans to meet there after lunch. I was glad to see it was a normal rainy day in Forks. Leia wouldn't have any reason to bow out of our meeting. When Sarah, Jacob and I piled out of the truck, Bella was already there talking with Lara Smoltz, the dance studio owner. Lara left as soon as she'd let us in, asking us to call her before we left so she could lock up.

"Where's Leia?" I asked this as soon as we were alone. Lara Smoltz was known to be a town gossip, so I wasn't surprised Leia wasn't here yet. Almost as if summoned by my voice, however, Leia was suddenly inside the doors with a plastic grocery bag hanging from her fingers.

"I just went to get the bottled water out of the truck." She grabbed the bag in both hands, standing beside Bella with a shy smile as I introduced my sister.

"Nice to meet you, Leia." Sarah's greeting was genuine and Leia flashed her a dazzling smile. I watched Sarah blink a couple of times and realized that I wasn't the only one affected by her strange beauty. Even Jacob had been snared by her smile a time or two, I think. He was very carefully not looking at Leia today.

"And you, Sarah. Bella talks highly of both you and Adam. I'm glad to meet you."

"So, let's dance!" I watched Jacob and Sarah exchange a look of amusement. I ignored them and led the way into the main dance studio. After we set our things in the corner, I watched quietly as Leia paced off the space, her hand running along the bar, her dainty steps measuring the amount of empty dance floor she had. Then she smiled and began stretching on the bar.

While I followed Leia's example of stretching, our friends were chatting off the floor. Bella was holding a clear CD case, turning it nervously in her fingers. She kept glancing over at Leia with an expression of barely controlled panic. Leia seemed relaxed, but she tilted her head towards her best friend often and an expression of concern flickered over her features.

"So, ladies first?" I suggested this after a few minutes of watching her contort her body into almost impossible seeming poses. She was wearing a pale yellow leotard with a shimmering, gauzy pink skirt and a pair of baby blue dance shoes. She would have looked about ten years old with her hair caught up in pig tails, but the pull of the tight material against her body showed a hard, toned body and those curves that had seemed barely there yesterday were accentuated perfectly today. I forced myself to look away.

"Yeah, we've seen Adam dance, so I think we're going to walk down to the diner and get a soda after we watch you dance, Leia. If you're anything like Adam when you start talking about music and choreography, the rest of us will be bored senseless." Jacob said this and Sarah smacked him lightly in defense of me, but I could tell she felt the same way.

Leia chuckled softly and shrugged, obviously comfortable going first. She glanced over at Bella, who sighed softly and handed me the CD case. I went over to slip the unmarked disc into the studio's sound system and then watched as Leia stood gracefully and walked to the middle of the floor with no hesitation. I perched on the sturdy table the held the sound system and sat back against the mirrors to watch.

The music that started was classical piano, a pretty piece that wasn't usually my kind of thing. But paired with Leia Cullen's dancing, it very suddenly became exactly my thing. She was a thing of beauty, the very definition of grace. Perfect balance, impeccable timing, and musicality off the charts. It wasn't pure ballet, it was freestyle, like Leia's thoughts in form. No monster could move like this, think like this, be this beautiful.

I don't know how long the song was, I just know it wasn't long enough. When she was done, I sat in stunned silence. Only Jacob and Sarah were applauding, loudly. I watched as Leia unfolded herself from her final pose and rose. Her face was a reflection of the pure joy she felt while dancing. That joy slipped slowly into concern however, and she flashed to Bella's side so fast I thought I must have imagined it.

"Bella, hun, I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't have." Leia was hovering over Bella, who had her knees hugged to her chest. Her face was buried in the denim and her shoulders shook. Leia stroked her hair while the rest of us looked on awkwardly. A new song was playing, another piano piece.

"Adam, please turn that off?" Leia's request was sad and I reached over to cut the music. Bella murmured something against her knees that had Leia leaning in to hug her. "Comeon, darling. Let's go."

"No. I'm fine." Bella's voice broke, but her head came up defiantly. She wiped at her tears with angry fingers and shook her head. "I want to see Adam dance. I can't spend my life avoiding everything that reminds me of him."

"If you're sure." Leia sounded resigned and Bella nodded and let her friend help her to her feet.

"I'll be back in a sec, I promise. Don't start without me, Adam." Bella then disappeared, probably to find a bathroom. Leia sat in the floor and dropped her face into her hands. Jacob leaned in and gently touched her arm. He almost immediately drew back, a surprised expression on his face, but he controlled it quickly to ask his question.

"Is she…okay?"

"I should have known she was just being brave. I usually dance to Edward's music, but I could have danced to anything." Leia sounded resigned and Sarah and I exchanged a startled glance.

"Edward's music?" Sarah's question was quiet, but curious. Leia nodded.

"My wayward brother, the musical genius." Her laugh was bitter. "Please don't mention him to Bella. She is still…grieving."

"You make it sound like he died," Jacob's tone was surprised. Leia sighed.

"To her, it must seem that way. She doesn't have any hope that he's coming back." Leia sounded angry and frustrated.

"But you do?" Sarah's question made Leia nod.

"He's going to come back. I just don't know if he'll be able to grovel enough to make her trust him again when he does. But…shh…she's coming back."

After that, Jacob and Sarah disappeared to go get their sodas and Leia and I cracked jokes back and forth in an attempt to make Bella smile. She finally seemed to cheer a bit, so I popped in my CD and did one of my easier Fancy Dance routines for them. Bella and Leia both clapped enthusiastically and Leia whistled appreciatively. To my horror I felt myself blushing.

Bella made an excuse for herself quickly after that, leaving the two 'dancing fools' alone to go join Jacob and Sarah at the diner. Leia put her hands behind her back and aimed her face directly at mine. I wanted so badly to ask how someone supposedly blind could watch and enjoy dancing in any form. I couldn't make myself ask the question, so I was shocked when Leia asked it for me.

"So, don't you want to know why I wanted you to dance for me when I can't see you to enjoy it?" She wore a mischievous smile and I raised an eyebrow.

"It's eating me alive." I said honestly.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Leia's smile was wicked and the urge to see her eyes was almost overwhelming. Would they be sparkling with amusement? Or would they be dull and unfocused?

"You might be surprised what I'd believe. I'm very open minded." I couldn't help but hope she would satisfy my curiosity. Instead, she leapt lightly onto the three foot half wall that I was leaning against and did a pirouette on the three inch ledge. My heart had stopped a moment and my immediate response was to grab her before she fell. I stood there, my hands hovering on either side of her legs, with my heart thudding in my chest. I knew my mouth was hanging open but I didn't have the brain power left to shut it. She leaned down and laughed, putting her finger on my chin to close it. I noticed two things. Her cool, sweet breath was intoxicating and her finger was like ice.

"Adam?" I registered the change in her expression too anxious and realized I was staring. I blinked and stepped back, reaching up to rub the back of my neck in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I'm good, really. Just a little surprised. You're very...agile."

"A bit." She shrugged and perched on the half wall, one leg hugged to her chest and the other hanging down. She tilted her head to the side, as if pondering something. She was very still, so very much so that she resembled a statue rather than a person. I couldn't even make out the rise and fall of her chest when she breathed. If she was breathing. Did vampires need to breathe?

"What if I told you I can see through the eyes of others?" She asked suddenly, the tone of her voice casual but I knew it wasn't a casual question. I raised an eyebrow at her again, torn between wanting to believe her claim and wanting to treat it like a joke in case she was just yanking my chain. I settled for something in between.

"I'd tell you to prove it." I tried to sound nonchalant, but I don't know if I managed it because she laughed and hopped off the half wall and gestured towards the dressing room.

"Go in the other room and do something I wouldn't expect. Come back out and I'll tell you what you did." I blinked in surprise.

"You're serious!" I said. She nodded and stood there, waiting patiently. Excitement made me do what she asked, striding into the dressing room. I slipped off my shoes and, on impulse, I moved to the lockers at the far end of the room. I knew the combination for one of these lockers, since it had been mine for two years. I dialed the right numbers and tossed the shoes in before closing it. I grinned and strode back out into the studio. Leia hadn't moved.

"I'm assuming you want me to retrieve your shoes?" She turned towards me now with smile. I fought the urge to gape at her like a fish. I managed. Barely. I just nodded. She had disappeared before I could say anything so I yelled after her.

"I'm timing you!" I glanced down at my watch. If she was telling the truth, it shouldn't take her too long. She'd probably have to be careful of the layout in the locker room, so I figured she'd walk slow. And then she would have to locate the right locker…fumble around with the lock. Maybe two minutes, I thought. I glanced up after about twenty seconds and stumbled backwards in surprise, falling flat on my butt. Leia was standing in front of me with my shoes hanging from her fingers.

"That is not humanly possible." My voice cracked when I said this, staring at her with disbelieving eyes. Leia smiled wryly and crouched in front of me, holding out my shoes.

"I told you, I can see what you see. It was easy." Her voice wasn't amused, despite the smile on her face. I shook my head, clarifying my statement as I tried to gather my scattered thoughts.

"Not the freaky psychic eyes thing. I mean, that's weird and cool, but humanly weird. No, I'm talking about the fact that you just took you less than twenty seconds to do something that would take the fastest human at least a minute…thirty seconds without the lock, maybe." I reached out hesitantly and took my shoes, just to be sure they were _my_ shoes. They were.

"So, are you afraid of me, Adam? The not-human with the cool, freaky psychic eyes thing?" Leia reached up and pulled off her sunglasses. All the pieces fell into place and my theory was confirmed when I saw the color of her eyes. Liquid gold. My breath caught in my throat and I felt a shiver of fear, for just a moment, before I locked it down. Here was Quileute legend in the flesh, a Cold Woman who, if the stories were right, lived off the blood of animals. If she favored human blood, her eyes would be red, so it was said.

"Why are you showing me this?" I needed to know why she was trusting me with this secret. It didn't make sense. She sighed softly and turned her face so that her eyes were looking directly into mine. For just a moment, they almost seemed to focus, as if she could truly see me.

"For two reasons, Adam Talldeer. One, you're too smart for your own good and I'm pretty sure you'd've figured it out on your own anyway. And two, because there's a werewolf problem in Forks and I need someone open minded to help me figure out what to do about it."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Chapter Notes:

Back to Leia's POV, here. There is a time jump here of a few weeks, for the sake of moving the story along. Sorry if any of you are dissapointed in the missing bits, but I had a hard time getting the story to this point, so when my muse decided to cooperate again, I ran with it. :)

As usual, I don't own anything of Twilight. All Hail Empress Meyer!

*****

Leia's POV

It had taken Adam about an hour to decide he didn't care what I was and by the end of that first day at the dance studio we had discovered a wealth of things in common. Between researching the werewolf problem and dancing together, we had formed a strong friendship. I didn't want to break the treaty by mentioning anything about the werewolves to Bella, but since Adam was a Quileute, surely it was safe to talk to him about it.

Unfortunately, Adam and I hadn't found out much about the werewolves on our own, even with Adam being Quileute himself. It wasn't until Jacob had changed for the first time, while he was with Sarah no less, that we got something of the truth. Sarah defended Jacob and his pack vehemently, but she had given her brother a few details. Sam Uley was the leader of said pack, and they called themselves 'protectors'. They claimed that the reason they existed was because my family had come back to Forks and the powers that be demanded balance.

Jacob had told the pack about me. That had caused no end of trouble for Bella when Charlie learned I was in town. Charlie liked me, really, but he resented my family for leaving Bella without so much as a goodbye. Not to mention I was only officially sixteen years old. He had threatened to call Social Services about me, but after much pleading, he had agreed to let me stay with Bella for a couple of weeks until Carlisle could get away to come and get me. It helped that he now equated Bella's better moods with my presence.

With the Quileute's informed of my presence, Adam and Sarah had been advised they were not to visit Bella Swan and under no circumstances were they to see or talk with me again. Bella had been devastated by the news and Charlie had been livid. He had been told that once I was no longer a guest in his home, Jacob and the Talldeer's could come to visit again. That was when he had angrily told me I was welcome in his home for as long as I wanted to be there. He still wasn't speaking with Billy over the issue.

Sarah was not content with the edict, but she and Jacob were closer than they had been prior to his change so she wasn't defying it beyond an occasion email. Adam, however, was a different story. He continued to email, text and call us both, much to Charlie's wicked glee. Chief Swan wasn't about to say anything about his defiance.

Over the last week, Adam had managed to get away from the rez two times to see us, both times on the pretense of heading into Port Angeles for materials for the new dance costume he was putting together. That first night, he had taken both Bella and I to dinner and a movie. The second time we had gone to the dance studio again while Bella was at work. I was beginning to suspect that Adam was crushing on me, but I did my best _not_ to encourage him. All of my brother's problems with Bella had taught me that having a relationship with a human wasn't something to jump into lightly, no matter how much we had in common.

It was Sunday afternoon and Adam had once again gotten away to see us. We had gone to see a movie and now we were back in the toolshed, where Bella's bike still resided. Adam and Jacob had taken her out to teach her to ride it a few weeks back. Bella had come home with a busted scalp, making me glad I'd refrained from going with them. The second and last time she'd tried it, she had come home nursing a nasty case of road rash on one of her arms. She had been proud of herself, though.

The only thing good that had come of Jacob's defection to the 'dark side', as Adam called it, was Bella's disinterest in riding her bike. I just hoped she'd forgotten about that other dangerous past time she had told Jacob and Adam she wanted to try. Cliff diving was not something I could let her do unsupervised and I couldn't supervise her at La Push. I cursed my brother again for leaving and Bella for having the audacity to hear his voice when she was being stupid.

"You're frowning. Was it something I said?" Adam's voice contained humor, but I heard the worry underlying it. I shook out of my dark thoughts. Bella was down at the house fixing herself and Adam a sandwich.

"No, actually I was thinking about Bella to distract myself from your oh-so-delicious smelling neck." That made him blush. I couldn't help teasing him. He was always making corny vampire jokes around me. I expected him to make one now, but instead of cracking a joke, he turned the conversation to Bella.

"Is she still having nightmares?" I sighed and nodded.

"Worse now, since Jacob started treating her like a leper. She misses him and Sarah. Honestly, Adam, we're her lifelines here. She's gotten so much better the last few months, but I still don't see the light in her eyes that used to be there. Even when she smiles, even when she laughs, she's not truly happy. Edward took her joy with him when he left, Adam, and if he doesn't bring it back soon, I'm afraid she'll slip right back into the lifeless depression I found her in when I came back. I can't stay in Forks forever." Saying that last thing hurt, because it was true. I would have to return to my family sometime.

"We'll think of something, Leia, I swear." Adam's voice was reassuring. I could only hope so. Then, to my surprise, he reached out and gathered my cold hands in his own, squeezing gently. As I struggled to get over the shock, and the a tiny traitorous bit of joy, of having his warm hands enveloping mine, I heard the faint sound of a motorcycle. Jacob's motorcycle. The sound of the heart above the motor was not Jacob's.

"Sarah's coming." There was surprise in my voice. Adam cursed and dropped my hands. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, looking at the screen.

"I forgot to turn it back off silent after the movie. She's probably frantic." Adam's voice was resigned, but I was on the verge of panic. Wouldn't she think the worst if he didn't answer? Sarah was just as aware of my true nature as her brother. I pushed him gently towards the door.

"Go meet her at the road. She'll need to see you." I was shaking, pushing my senses out further to see if any werewolves were following. I didn't think the wolves would attack Adam, but not so me. What if I hurt one of them? What if I hurt Jacob? Sarah would hate me forever and Adam wouldn't speak to me again. I relaxed when I didn't hear any large, heavily thudding hearts behind the motorcycle.

Adam went out to meet his sister and I fled back to the house. I ran into the kitchen and noticed that a nearly new copy of the _Fellowship of the Ring _was laid out on the table from where Bella had left it this morning at breakfast. Adam and I were more of an influence on Bella than we thought. I would have grinned at the thought if I hadn't been so unsettled.

"What's wrong, Lei?" Bella dropped the knife full of peanut butter on the counter without thought and came closer, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Sarah's coming on the bike. Adam didn't answer his cell phone, so heaven only knows what she thinks happened to him." Bella wrapped her arm around me and I realized that I was trembling. Bella gathered me close, for the first time in our acquaintance comforting me.

"You would no more bite Adam than you would bite me, Leia. Surely Sarah knows that. She and Adam are so close, she'd know if something happened to him." Bella's voice was quiet and I made myself calm down. She was right. Adam and Sarah had a very special bond. I heard Adam coming up the front walk then and pulled Bella towards the door. Adam stood on the porch, a fearful expression on his face.

"There's another vampire in the area. Sarah has been trying to warn us that the pack is tracking him, since he crossed our land. They think he's a Cullen, so they think the treaty has been broken." I felt Bella tense beside me, but I put a hand on her shoulder and shook my head.

"I would know if one of my brothers was back here. I just talked to Alice yesterday and she has a bead on all of them. This must be a nomad, a wanderer."

"Like James…" Bella's voice was frightened and I snarled softly.

"I'll do some tracking of my own. If there is another vampire near Forks, I need to find out who they are and send them on their way. I won't have someone preying on people in my territory."

Adam was immediately in my face, his hands catching my shoulders as if to shake them.

"You can't. They think the treaty is broken, Leia, which means they'll gleefully rip you apart if they come across you outside of this house." I reached up and touched Adam's cheek very gently.

"They'd have to catch me first, Adam. But I'm not going to let it come to that." I slipped away from him and strolled back into the house. I moved unerringly to the phone and dialed a number I had only called a time or two.

"Hello?" The deep voice on the other end was familiar, so similar to Jacob's that I almost sighed.

"Hello, Billy. It's Leia Cullen. We need to talk."

Two Days Later

Well, my phone call to Billy Black hadn't won me any popularity contests on La Push, but at least they had listened to me. I wasn't about to leave a vampire on the prowl without doing some scouting of my own, but I really didn't want to end up in a brawl with a pack of wolves if we crossed paths. Adam and Bella were both begging me to leave it alone, but I needed to know who and why this nomad was hovering here.

"I'm coming with you." Bella was adamant about coming with me on my hunt. Her reasoning was that if I was with her, I would be less likely to engage in a fight I could avoid. Not to mention she thought I needed eyes to guide me when I wasn't on paths I knew. Adam was just as adamant about coming with me, but he wanted to be my eyes if it did come to a fight and the stupid boy thought he could be of some help as a distraction. I had thought to sneak out early and confound both of them.

"Bella, I'm planning on finding him and I don't want you within twenty miles of him when I do." I was going to try being firm with Bella. She had my number, though.

"It's vampire tracking with you or cliff diving at La Push. I'm in the mood to do something crazy today." There was an undertone of desperation in her voice. I knew if left without her, she would drive herself to La Push and do exactly what she threatened. I sighed.

"Well, knowing our track record, this expedition will put you in enough danger that you'll be hearing his voice in your head for days." My quiet comment should have made her flinch, as she always did when she knew I was talking about Edward. Instead, she smiled in anticipation. I groaned and sat back in the rocking chair.

"If you're going, we can at least wait until dawn. Get some sleep." Bella didn't immediately climb back into bed and she stood with her hands on her hips looking at me. She probably wore a doubtful expression. I sighed.

"I'm not going to leave without you. I promise. Besides, Charlie will freak out if he wakes up and both of us are gone."

Bella finally climbed back into bed and I heard her breathing fall into a regular rhythm. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and pulled it out. I climbed out Bella's window and perched on the roof.

"Hello?"

"Leah Rhianna Cullen, don't you dare." Alice's voice was frightened and I was concerned.

"Don't I dare what, Alice?"

"Whatever it is you're planning, don't."

"Well, that's helpful. Can you be a little more specific?"

"Don't go into the woods."

"What do you see happening in the woods, Alice?"

"Nothing." I would have laughed, if her voice didn't convey horror. She continued. "You're fine and then suddenly...nothing. I can't see you anymore."

"Alice, there's a vampire in the area. I have to see if I can track him down. La Push is on the warpath and I need to see what he wants before I either warn him or take him down myself. I won't have him here, not with Bella's track record of attracting every dangerous creature imaginable."

"Please, Leia..." Alice was pleading now. I sighed.

"Alice, you don't see anything bad happening. You just don't see anything. Maybe that's because there's nothing to see. Okay, let's say I leave Bella at home. What do you see then?"

"Oh no. Oh, no, no. Bella _jumps off a cliff_!" Alice voice was mortified. I laughed humorlessly.

"Well, yes, she did threaten to go cliff diving if I didn't take her with me tomorrow. So if I have to choose between the future you can't see and the future in which Bella throws herself off a cliff, I choose the first one. I'm used to running blind, Alice. When you can't see, you learn to use your other senses."

"You can choose option three, don't go at all."

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep both myself and Bella out of trouble. I've learned a lot since Phoenix, Alice. No creature, not even a vampire, is going to sneak up on me. If I scent anything dangerous, I'll be running Bella out of the situation so fast only Edward could catch us."

"You swear?" Alice's voice was subdued now and I decided as soon as this vampire was gone, either dead or just moved on, I was going to visit my family for a few days.

"I swear, Alice. I love you. Give my love to everyone else, please."

****

Adam threw a kink into my plans the next day. When Bella and I arrived at the trailhead, he was perched on the hood of his truck, reading a book. I snarled softly and Bella just giggled, pushing out of the truck to go greet her friend. I followed Bella and I knew by the look on Adam's face that he knew how angry I was.

"The gang's all here," he joked weakly.

"The gang is all staying here." I was beyond angry. Bella had to have called him. "I made a promise that I would run Bella out of danger if I came across anything today. I can't run both of you out."

"A promise to whom?" Bella's voice was quiet and I immediately regretted opening my mouth. Adam snorted softly, obviously not catching the distressed sound of Bella's voice.

"Well, you can go hunting. I made a promise of my own. To Bella. She wants to find some meadow and evidently it's within hiking distance of this particular parking spot." He slid off the hood of his truck and moved towards us, going over to take Bella's hand. And then he turned his back on me, tugging Bella towards the trail leading off into the woods.

"Wait, wait. I need to ask Leia something. Besides, it's not this way. It's off the trail. That way." Bella pointed to the north. I knew exactly what meadow she was talking about. It was where Alice had once seen Edward killing Bella. Or turning her. Obviously neither had happened, so Bella must have fond memories of the meadow.

"You went hiking off the trail?" Adam sounded shocked, but I knew he was teasing Bella. Her clumsiness was no secret and she often made jokes about it herself. She didn't seem amused this time.

"Yes, I did." She tugged her hand out of Adam's and came to stand in front of me. I was standing there, with my arms crossed over my chest, leaning against the front of Bella's truck. My frown was ferocious and I left it that way.

"I promised Alice." I said this, knowing Bella wouldn't leave the question alone. Her expression, reflected in my glasses, turned worried.

"What did Alice see?"

"Absolutely nothing." I told the complete truth. Bella narrowed her eyes at me and I shrugged. "She saw us go into the woods, but she didn't see anything bad happening. So, you and Adam go visit the meadow. Scent has the vampire heading east, anyway."

"You can smell him here?" Adam's voice was incredulous.

"It's faint, but yeah. Billy told me they'd tracked him across here three days ago." I said this with a serene smile.

"Fine, you go that way and we'll go this way. Say, we'll meet back at the trucks at sundown?" Bella, now reassured that Alice hadn't seen anything bad happening, moved back to Adam, grabbing his elbow and pulling him in a generally northward direction.

"You might want to aim a little more to the northeast, Bells. Else you'll miss it by a mile or two." I added this helpfully. I hadn't ever gone to the meadow from here, but I had a perfect topographical map of the area in my head. I had made it a point to plot every memorized hunting route I had on a map. Along with the same uncanny sense of direction every vampire had, I could not get lost in Washington state. I could stumble, fall, break trees or tumble into a ravine, but I would always know exactly where I was give or take a few hundred yards.

"Show off," Bella muttered and Adam chuckled as they adjusted their heading a bit. I listened to them crunching through the undergrowth for a few minutes. Surely they knew I wasn't going to let them wander around in the forest alone?

"Why she doesn't call our bluff?" Adam was whispering, but they were nowhere near out of my hearing range.

"Bluff? What bluff? We aren't bluffing." Bella couldn't act, obviously, but she did know I could still hear them. There hadn't been any reason to demonstrate my hearing range for Adam. He knew I had extraordinary senses, but he didn't know how extraordinary. I suppose I really should have given Adam some clues to what exactly I was capable of, but I wanted him to like me as a person and not as the vampire. I tried to be semi-normal around him.

"What, you think she's following us?" Adam had probably leaned down to whisper in Bella's ear. It still didn't work, since I was focused on the pair of them. I smirked.

"Nice to know all vampires aren't show offs." Bella muttered this. "She can hear Charlie grumbling about dinner from three miles away, I don't doubt she can hear you whispering at five hundred feet."

"Oh really?" Adam sounded intrigued. I sighed and pushed away from the truck, moving in their direction. They knew I wouldn't let them wander the woods alone. Perhaps it was better that I didn't track the vampire today. Bella wanted to visit the meadow, so visit the meadow we would. I would come back tonight and do some tracking. Bella would be too tired from today's hike to stay awake.

I led the way through the maze of trees, brush and rocks leading to the meadow. After an hour of watching through Adam's eyes as Bella stumbled over obstacles and nearly fell on her face a half dozen times, I sighed.

"Come ride, Bella."

Her hesitation was brief. I knew she had ridden my brother's back often, so the memory might be hard. Adam touched her shoulder and smiled.

"We'll get there faster." His gentle reassurance made up her mind and she climbed aboard, her long legs around my hips and her arms around my neck. Her chin rested on the top of my head. We were about the same height, so carrying her looked awkward, but once I had her balanced just so, it was easy. I took off at a pace that actually made our long legged friend struggle to keep up.

"How much further?" Adam asked this jokingly for about the tenth time an hour or so later and I chuckled. I could hear how breathless he was. He was fit, but the pace must have been too much for him. He was radiating heat and I thought he might be trembling. Bella glanced at him and I noticed he didn't look comfortable. I slowed down and made both Bella and Adam take a drink of water before we continued.

"A few more minutes." I finally replied to Adam. I couldn't see the telltale lightening of the forest around the meadow like I would have been able to see through vampire eyes, but I knew exactly where I was now.

"Let me down now, Lei. I'll walk the rest of the way." Bella's quiet voice was both excited and wary. I let her drop to the forest floor before we all continued at a more sedate pace. I only had to reach out and steady Bella once when she tripped on a pine cone. When we finally broke through into the meadow, I paused and reached out to take Adam's hand, holding him back. I wanted to allow Bella some semblance of privacy.

As Bella moved to the center of the meadow and fell to her knees, I felt guilty. Did Bella really need this reminder of the times spent with my brother here? Adam clutched my hand in his overly warm one and turned his face away but I knew he could hear her sobs as well as I could. But it was doubtful he heard the sounds that made me stiffen in shock a few minutes later.

Bella's distress had distracted me for a moment, but when I pushed my senses out again, I heard and focused on a rustling to the northeast. It was a sound I knew well, the sound of a vampire running. I flashed to Bella's side.

"Bella, love, I know this is hard, but I need you here now. I need you and Adam to go back to the truck." Bella's cries of distress stilled and I heard her heartbeat quicken.

"What is it?" Her hoarse question was echoed by Adam as he stepped up beside us.

"Looks like I won't have to come back out tonight to track our mystery vampire. I don't want you here when I cut him off. It's too dangerous. Not to mention I promised Alice." I couldn't exactly honor that promise to the letter. I wasn't leaving Adam behind while I ran Bella out of danger.

"Leia, we aren't leaving you." Adam's voice was determined. I grimaced and was about to growl at him when I heard something else. I growled alright, but it wasn't at Adam.

"The pack is tracking him." My voice contained frustration. How was I supposed to handle this? I had wanted to talk to this vampire, but I judged that we would only have about five minutes to chat before he realized he was being hunted. At his rate of speed, he would be in the meadow in about two minutes. Not enough time for Adam and Bella to get to safety. If he was thirsty, he might get past me and hunt them.

"Okay, maybe it would be safer with you here. But stay behind me." I backed them up so that we were on the edge of the meadow opposite the side he would appear on. I noted that his scent was vaguely familiar and began running through the small list of vampires I knew besides my family. Perhaps he was one of the nomads that I had met in Alaska.

I knew the minute he scented Adam and Bella, because his pace quickened. I also knew when he picked up my scent, because his pace slowed again. I dropped into a hunting crouch and snarled softly.

"Well, I always did want to see how vampires fight." Adam's dark humor made Bella smack him on the shoulder, hissing in anger and fear.

"That's not funny. Do you know what he could do to her?" Typical Bella. She didn't worry about what the vampire could do to the humans, no. She was worried about me, the only one of us equipped to defend against him or her.

"The pack's coming. I don't think he'll get much chance to do anything." Adam sounded smug now and I didn't have the heart to tell him how much damage a vampire could do in five minutes. What he didn't know couldn't frighten him. I needed at least one of them level headed. I heard Bella moan softly. Adam put a comforting arm around her shoulders and I tensed as my quarry stepped out of the trees across the meadow. I was suddenly torn between relief and worry.

"Laurent!" Bella was obviously relieved to see a familiar face. She didn't register the red in his eyes. I was using Adam's vision, which was sharper than Bella's. As Bella moved forward, as if to step up beside me, I rose out of my hunting crouch and put out a hand to stop her, watching as the vampire across the way tilted his head in confusion.

"Bella? And Leia Cullen. Well, I am surprised to see you both here. I thought your family had moved away? I checked up at the house and it seemed so empty." He seemed genuinely curious. I let my lips stretch into what I thought was a friendly smile and shrugged.

"Just visiting for a few weeks. What brings you all the way from Denali? I thought you were staying with Irina and her family." I thought I'd matched his curious tone fairly well. He frowned though.

"Ah, yes, well…I'm just visiting myself. An old friend of mine. Not that Irina isn't lovely, but her lifestyle…I have such a hard time refraining, you know? Or perhaps you don't know. Irina said you've never tasted human blood, the oh-so-pure blind baby sister of the Cullen clan. She really does resent you for some reason." Laurent was amused. I was not.

"Irina and I have always had our issues, but that's not really my concern right now. I'll give you one warning to move on. This is my territory and I won't have you hunting humans on it." I was proud. My voice stayed pleasant. Laurent must have found it funny, however, because he threw back his head and laughed.

"Ah, little Leia Cullen, I do admire your concern for the masses. What are you going to do if I don't heed your warning? Surely you won't attack me. I have three hundred years experience fighting our kind. One blind barely past newborn vampire isn't going to concern me. What does concern me is that my friend has special plans for your little pet there. She would be very unhappy if I was to spoil her fun. What say you give me the boy and I'll ask Victoria very nicely to leave little Bella alone?"

I heard Bella's sharp intake of breath and Adam's angry murmur. I listened to the werewolves approaching quickly, a couple of them with extra fast heartbeats. They were excited and ready for a fight. Well, I wasn't going to let them have all the fun, nor was I going to let Laurent slip away after that malicious taunt. I was going to show this three hundred year old vampire just how concerned he should be about this barely past newborn vampire.

"You know what? You and your old friend James have one thing in common. You both love the sound of your own voice. I'm tired of talking. What say we dance?" My voice dropped an octave and ended in a growl. I smiled wickedly and sent a silent thanks to Jasper for his special attention to my most recent fight training as I flashed across the meadow.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Chapter Notes:

Glad you all enjoyed the cliffhanger last chapter. ;P

There are a couple of POV changes in this chapter. I would have made each separate POV a different chapter, but it would have been a little short by my standards.

*********

**Bella's POV**

As Leia moved across the meadow in a blur towards Laurent, I felt Adam stiffen and tremble beside me. Anticipating his next move, I grabbed his arm with both my hands and held on tight. He jerked against my grasp but I dug in my heels. Not that it would stop him if he really wanted to run to his death.

"Don't, Adam! You'll just get her killed and you too." My words were hoarse, pushed from a throat raw with recent tears. I felt a wash of guilt as I realized my silly notion, that somehow coming here would give me some sense of peace, had led to this horrible outcome.

Adam stopped, his eyes wide as he watched Leia. I turned my own eyes towards the pair of vampires with a sense of dread. Leia seemed to be dancing around Laurent like a pale yellow blur. She was dressed in a very impractical sundress today. Only one of the Cullen girls would wear a dress to go hiking. What a lovely dress to wear to your own funeral, I thought hysterically.

"How, exactly, do you kill a vampire?" Adam's quiet question was spoken between clenched teeth, distracting me momentarily from the clawing panic currently residing in my chest.

"You have to tear them apart and burn the pieces." I don't know how, but I managed to say the words without my voice breaking. I saw Adam go pale under his deep russet skintone. As if to drive the theory home, there was a horrible screeching sound like metal on metal. We both watched as something small and white flew across the meadow, making an impressive dent in the bark of one of the trees there. Laurent howled and though he never stood still long enough for me to get a good look, I thought he might be missing a hand.

"That's my girl." Adam's murmured words would surely travel to the vampires. Perhaps that's why Leia paused for just a split second, the grin on her face evident even this far away. Laurent roared, launching himself at her, and she was moving again. The fight became too fast and dizzying for me to watch and I was forced to look away, sick to my stomach with worry over Leia. It was about this time that the wolves arrived. I tensed, wondering what they would do.

Only a large, black wolf was fully visible, standing several yards from the fighting vampires. The others darted in and out of the trees, making their way around the perimeter of the meadow. They were _huge. _I could see how the people making the sightings often mistook them for bears, but there was a definite canine cast to their long muzzles. The big black wolf had his teeth bared, huge razor sharp teeth that looked capable of biting through steel. Or vampire. They made no move to interrupt the fight, just watched as the vampires fought. I had a sinking feeling they were just waiting their turn.

"If you aren't going to help, then get them out of here." I barely heard Leia's hissed order as she obviously drew the same conclusion. The black wolf's head swung in our direction. I cowered into Adam, who glared right into the wolf's eyes.

"Help her, damn you!" Adam shouted at the black wolf, but the monster just turned his head back to the fight. None of the wolves in the woods made any move to help either. Right about that time, there was another screech of sound as one of the vampires scored a hit. Leia snarled in pain. I sank to my knees in terror, my breath coming in heaving sobs.

"Please, she's my friend! Jacob Black, she's your friend too, you traitor!" I screamed this through my distress, knowing he was out there, watching. I heard a howl from one of the wolves surrounding the meadow, but it was quickly silenced. Adam growled low in his throat then and I could literally feel him vibrating despite the fact that he was two feet from me. The heat rolling off of him was incredible. I was trying my best to see what might be wrong with Leia, but the fight was still moving at dizzying speeds. She hadn't made another sound, so I tore my eyes away and looked at my friend. I scrambled backwards in surprise. I watched as his body seemed to blur and contort before my eyes.

"Adam..." my whisper was lost in the sound of five wolves howling as Adam phased into a large white wolf, not as big as the black one across the meadow but impressive. My heart echoed the wolves as I howled inside. I was going to lose another friend.

I almost expected Adam to be awkward. Surely this was the first time he'd phased. But he didn't even pause before bounding across the meadow, snarling. He obviously caught the other wolves off guard, because none of them moved to cut him off. I prayed that there was enough of Adam in the creature to still care about his friends, vampire or not. My prayers seemed to be answered when he leapt, barreling into Laurent. Leia went very still for a moment as the white wolf tried to snap his jaws around Laurent's neck.

In an act that was surely desparation, Laurent threw Adam aside and escaped into the woods. Adam picked himself up, shook himself violently, and ran after the male vampire. Leia went flying after them. The black wolf finally seemed ready to act, for he too loped off to join the fight. From the howls and snarls, I thought the whole pack must be helping. Finally. I just hoped they wouldn't hurt Leia.

******

**Leia's POV**

"Leia, you're hurt." Bella's horrified voice drew my attention briefly to my arm. Laurent had attempted to sever my arm at the elbow. It was just an annoyance that would leave yet another scar, but I held my arm carefully as it healed quickly enough for even a human to see the rapid knitting of flesh. I also had the three bite marks decorating my neck, upper arm and left foot. They stung, nothing more. I shook my head at Bella.

"It's nothing," I said the words grudgingly. Laurent had quickly adjusted to my fighting style after he'd lost his hand. I had lost the advantage and knew I wouldn't have lasted long. I had counted on the wolves to help me, so it shouldn't have been an issue. I was torn between grief and gratefulness that Adam had stepped in. I could only pray that Adam wouldn't abandon us like Jacob had, but I didn't think he would have much choice in the matter. If Laurent hadn't mentioned Victoria, I might have let Bella visit La Push. Now I wasn't so sure.

In the end, I had been the one to take Laurent's head from his shoulders, but only because Adam had taken his leg. After that the rest of the wolves had ripped him to bits. There was a raging bonfire beyond the meadow with three of the pack watching to make sure it didn't spread. Jacob was currently standing at the edge of the meadow, watching us. Bella's eyes flickered to him often as she fussed over my arm.

"This is what you get for being friends with a bloodsucker." It was Sam's voice. Bella looked up to see him come from the trees wearing nothing but a pair of black cotton shorts. I had to resist the urge to growl at him. Surprisingly, Bella did it for me.

"She's a good woman, be she vampire or human. More than I can say for you or your friends, Sam Uley. You would have let him kill her and would have happily finished him off yourself." I was shocked by Bella's outburst. If the situation hadn't been so grave, I would have hugged her for her show of support.

"We had no obligation to help a Cold One, only to protect you, Bella. It is unfortunate that you and Adam decided to put yourself in harm's way." Sam's voice held some anger, but there was also sadness and if Bella's eyes saw rightly, fear. He had yet to look at me or address me directly. I wasn't so bashful.

"You should be ashamed that Adam was forced into his first phase by this atrocity. Laurent could have taken one or both of them hostage or just killed them outright before any of us could have stopped him, Sam Uley. If that had happened, it would have been as much your fault as mine." To demonstrate how fast one of my kind could move, I ran at top speed around the meadow and then leaped over Sam's head to land lightly next Bella's side. The maneuver had only taken two seconds, proof enough that Laurent could have leapt at Bella's throat mid-fight before he was stopped.

"Their safety is more important than your desparate hatred my kind," I concluded.

Sam growled softly. He was shaking with reaction to my little demonstration, obviously fighting the urge to turn and rip my throat out. I wasn't concerned, since I was sure that he wouldn't hurt Bella. He didn't respond to my challenge though, only glaring at me for a moment. Then I heard Adam begging to be allowed to see us and I growled softly when someone told him it wasn't safe for him to be around Bella.

I heard the sounds of a scuffle, then a howl. It was a lonely sound that would have raised goosebumps on my arms if I'd still been human. Instead it only broke my unbeating heart. Sam grimaced and turned on his heel, walking back towards his pack. I felt a since of loss a few moments later when I heard the wolves running away towards La Push. Surprisingly, Jacob did not follow them. Bella saw the emotions warring on his face; pain, anger and sadness.

"Bella, come with me, please. I'll take you home." His voice was resigned. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"You think I would leave her alone now? She's my best friend and I trust her with my life. Go with your pack, Jacob. Tell Adam I'll miss him, too." Her anger was gone and she was just…sad. I heard the tremor in her voice. Obviously Jacob did, too.

"Please, Bella. I…ugh. Nevermind. Just…if you need…" he trailed off, his eyes anguished. Finally he sighed and turned to follow Sam from the meadow.

"Jacob?" My voice stopped him. He didn't turn but he did pause. "How is he?"

"Confused, hurt, angry at us. He's got a lot to learn, but he'll be fine. I'll ask him to call you, if he can." Jacob's voice was resigned. Then he loped out of sight. To my surprise, he didn't go far. He stopped several yards into the trees as if waiting for something. Or someone.

"Come on, Bella. I need to get you home." I knew Bella was hurting. I could smell the tears slipping down her cheeks as she stared after Jacob. I stood and gently tugged her to her feet. She sniffled a bit and then climbed on my back, her arms tight around my neck. She murmured against my neck.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault." Bella's whispered words were filled with guilt. I snorted softly.

"What are you apologizing for? Being human? Wanting to go to a place that should hold happy memories? Don't. It's my fault for not putting my foot down. I'm here to keep you safe, so what do I do? Take you two hiking with a vampire on the loose. You could have been killed. I'm not happy Adam phased now, but I can't help but be grateful."

Bella didn't respond, just kept her face pressed against my neck. I followed our scent back down the path to her truck, glad I had paid extra attention on the trek up. I wasn't surprised when I heard Jacob following us, on four feet instead of two. I wondered why he was defying Sam to shadow us, but I felt the tiniest bit of hope. Jacob obviously still cared what happened to Bella, even I was now his sworn enemy.

Thirty minutes later I was sitting in the cab of the truck, thinking that I should call Alice. I was holding my cell phone and couldn't help but grimace. It was smashed, caught between myself and Laurent during our fight one too many times. I tried not to panic. If Alice had seen the scene in the meadow, she'd be freaking out right now.

Bella was tense and silent on the drive home and kept throwing glances at me. I spent the hour long drive listening to Jacob's heartbeat as he shadowed us home. I doubted he could outrun a vampire at full speed, but he was pretty fast. I'd gotten quite an education on werewolves during the fight with Laurent. I could see through their eyes as easily as humans it would seem.

When we got home, Charlie wasn't there. Now that we were home, Jacob's heartbeat faded into the distance, towards La Push, and I sighed. Bella put a hand on my shoulder, concerned, and I shook my head. I would tell her that Jacob had followed us home later.

"I'm gonna get a shower. You should call Alice." Bella's voice was grave and I nodded. She seemed to understand that I wanted to have this conversation in private. She retreated to the bathroom for a shower and I settled in the rocking chair to call Alice on the house phone.

"You're okay! Leia, you're not hurt?" Alice's voice was frantic. I could tell by the sounds in the background that she was in an airport. I sighed.

"I didn't go looking for him, Alice, I swear. I'm fine."

"What happened, Leia? I saw Laurent heading right for you and then everything went black. I...thought you were dead." Alice was sobbing now. I was stunned. Dead? I scrambled to comfort my sister.

"I'm all in one piece, I promise. Evidently Victoria is after Bella and Laurent was all set to help her. I fought him, just to keep him busy until the wolves got there."

"Victoria? Wait, wait, the werewolves showed up!?" Alice's voice started low and ended up in a piercing shriek. Well, piercing to me. I winced. It was like a bad horror movie, the vampires versus the werewolves. Despite the treaty, my family seemed to detest the wolves as much as the wolves hated them. And Alice hadn't seen the end of the fight. I wondered if her ability to see had stopped when the wolves had shown up in the meadow.

"Yes. They...helped me bring down Laurent." That was the truth. No point in telling Alice all the details, like the fact that Adam had phased not two feet from Bella and then stepped in to save me because Sam and his pack hadn't felt it was their 'obligation' to help me. The last thing I wanted was to inspire more bad blood between my family and the Quileutes. "So I'm fine, and Bella's fine. Pinky swear, Alice."

"I'm...I don't..." I heard her take a deep breath and compose herself. "Jasper and I are on our way. I'll call Rose and Emmett and tell them the good news so they can intercept that message I sent to Carlisle and Esme."

"Good news?" My voice was wary. Alice sighed.

"That you and Bella aren't dead. Because..." I waited for her to finish but there was a clatter from Alice's end that made me wince. Had she dropped the phone? There was a pause before another familiar voice chimed in.

"Leia." It was Jasper. He sounded angry. I didn't want to dwell on the fact that all of my siblings and my parents would be livid about the fact that I was in Forks. Not to mention the trouble Alice would be in for not telling them. I cringed and tried to distract him.

"What's wrong with Alice?"

"Vision." I could hear the worry in his voice, but he wasn't going to be distracted. "What are you doing in Forks, Leia. We promised to stay away. It's for the best."

"Best for who?" I asked desparately. "For Bella, the pathetic shell of a person I found when I got back here two months ago? She might as well have died the day Edward left, Jasper."

"Better than dying for real." The pain in Jasper's voice nearly broke my heart. I doubted he would ever forgive himself for his slip during the party.

"Isn't that her choice to make? I know it sounds so melodramatic, Jazz, but she's the Juliet to Edward's frickin' angst driven Romeo. She doesn't want to live without him."

That startled him. "She's suicidal? She promised Edward she wouldn't..."

"Do anything stupid? Just like the promise Edward made her never to leave?" I was frustrated with everyone in my family for blindly following my brother's lead. I loved him but his logic was seriously flawed. "No, she's not suicidal. She's just broken. "

As I continued, my voice was just a whisper of pain, the pain of hearing Bella beg Edward not to leave every night in her sleep, the pain of watching her wake up screaming in the small hours of the morning day after day. The only good thing that would come of today, I thought, was that it had shaken up my family. With Victoria on the loose, surely they would see that Bella couldn't be left alone. It might even be enough to drag Edward back from wherever he was hiding.

"Edward, no!" Alice's voice was a piercing shriek in my sensitive ears. My stomach dropped when Jasper put down the phone, probably to comfort his wife. At least he didn't disconnect it. I could hear his gentle, concerned murmurs.

"What's Edward doing, Alice. Where do you see him?"

"Rosalie called him. Edward thinks we're going to Forks for a funeral," Alice's words were a low, keening moan. Oh, Rosalie, you stupid, stupid girl, I thought with a groan.

"What is Edward thinking of doing, Alice? Where do you see him going? Is he coming to Forks?" Jasper questioned.

"No. He's going to Italy, to Volterra." Alice's words wiped away all thoughts of Rosalie's stupidity. I panicked.

"No, Alice, stop him!" I screamed, knowing they could hear me. Two seconds later, the phone went dead as Jasper or Alice disconnected the call, hopefully to call Edward and keep him from throwing himself to the Volturi.

Bella came flying into the bedroom from the shower. She'd heard my scream. She leaned over me, dripping. I could only imagine what my expression looked like. I didn't bother to borrow her vision to look.

"Leia, what's wrong?" Bella's voice was near frantic.

"Alice and Jasper are coming." My comment was a whisper. They were coming, but would they stay or would they be flying to Italy to try and stop Edward?

"Alice is coming? But that's good, isn't it?" I heard just a hint of excitement, a longing in her voice. Bella loved Alice like a sister. I hoped Alice wouldn't be so stubborn that she wouldn't see Bella. And honestly, Bella deserved to know that Edward was willing to beg for death rather than live without her. Maybe that would finally convince her that Edward had been telling a blasphemous lie when he'd told her he didn't want her anymore.

"Yes. She's...well she saw some of what happened in the meadow but not all. She drew some...bad conclusions." My voice broke.

"What conclusions?" Bella's question was wary. I sighed softly.

"She thought we died." I laid it out for her. No point in hedging. She gasped.

"Oh, Leia, that's...ugh. She knows we're both okay now?"

"She and Jasper know. She was going to call Rosalie and Emmett and tell them so they can tell Carlisle and Esme." Of course she noticed that I forgot to mention one member of the family.

"They didn't tell...please say they didn't tell him?" Bella's voice was pleading. I moaned softly.

"Rosalie called him." I dropped my face in my hands and moaned softly. Bella came to my side and wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulders. How odd that she was comforting me. I pulled my face out of my hands and saw her expression in my glasses. She looked stricken but she didn't look panicked. She patted my shoulder and spoke quietly.

"Well, he'll be devasted to think you're dead, Leia, but it will all get straightened out. Alice will call him, or Rosalie." I let her words comfort me, despite the fact that she didn't understand that it wasn't my death that was driving him to stupid acts. It was hers. No need to go into that until Alice called back. I made Bella finish her shower and while she was gone, Alice did call again. The panic in her voice would have made my blood run cold, if I still had blood running in my veins.

"Leia," Alice whispered. "Edward's trashed his cell phone. He believed her without thought, believed her when she claimed we were on our way to a funeral. He'll be on a plane to Italy in half an hour."

"We have to stop him, Alice. How can we stop him?"

"The only way to stop him is to get you and Bella to Italy. Especially Bella, if she'll go." Alice's whispered words nearly broke my heart.

"She'll go, Alice. Charlie might put her in a convent when we get back, but she'll go. Book us a flight out of Seattle and call me with the flight times."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Chapter Notes:

I'm so glad you're excited for us to go to Italy. Honestly, that section of _New Moon_ was my favorite part of the book. I hope I did it justice. We are back to borrowing some of SM's original dialogue but there will be differences. For one thing, the trip to Italy is taking place two weeks earlier than it does in _New Moon_. :) Enjoy!

As always, I don't own anything of _Twilight_.

*****

Leia's POV

Bella was anxious, obviously, but she was also exhausted. When our plane touched down in New York, I had to shake her out of a fitful sleep so we could deplane. I had called Alice the moment we'd touched down and she had given us our connecting flight information. We would have to run to catch it, but I didn't care. The second plane ride itself would be a painful exercise in waiting. We didn't need to have to sit at the gate waiting too.

"I thought Jasper would be going with us." Bella sounded surprised when we arrived at the gate and only Alice waited to greet us. Alice clutched Bella and I both into a quick hug before she hurried us through the gate. Evidently we were the last passengers to arrive. The flight attendant closed the plane door behind us. We were in first class, but there were two empty seats and then a lone seat behind them. I let Bella sit with Alice. They hadn't seen each other in months and I could hear whatever conversation they were having anyway.

"Jasper would be okay on a four or five hour flight, Bella, but..." Alice trailed off, letting Bella draw her own conclusions about the eleven hour flight we were about to endure. It would be a chore for me so I could only imagine the torture it would have been for Jasper. Not to mention Alice had foreseen that one of the passengers was going to get a nosebleed. I grimaced and prayed it would be in coach. All the way back near the tail.

I listened as Alice explained why she and Jasper couldn't have chased after Edward on their own. She was right, Edward wouldn't believe that Bella was actually alive unless he could see her, touch her and smell her himself. Any attempt by one of us, his family, to thwart his suicidal behavior, would only end in sorrow and a whole lot of pain for everyone involved. Neither Bella, Alice nor I were willing to risk the chance that even seeing me wouldn't stop him and I was supposed to have died protecting Bella from certain death. Our best chance was for Bella and I to approach him together. If the Volturi denied him his request for death. Alice seemed cautiously optimistic about that.

While Bella questioned Alice about the Volturi, I tried to keep my thoughts from centering on the fact that it was my fault that my brother was about to throw himself on the Volturi's sharp and viligent sword. If I had taken Alice's request to heart, if I had refused to go into the woods, none of this would have happened. I wasn't going to let that guilt eat at me, not unless we were too late to stop him. Then I would let myself drown in it.

"So, how opposed are you to grand theft auto?" Alice's question to Bella drew me out of my thoughts and actually made me smile for the first time since Alice had announced that the Volturi were going to tell Edward they weren't willing to kill him just for asking. The smile had disappeared soon after, when Alice started telling us about Edward's list of ways to force the Volturi to give him what he wanted. He had finally settled on sunbathing in townsquare during the lunch rush. If I wasn't so horrified, I would have been impressed with his sense of the dramatic.

The pilot announced that we were about to land. I had been listening to Alice and Bella talk, truly I had, but the nosebleed had occured a few minutes back and of course they had used the lavatory closest to first class to mop it up. I was singing softly through my favorite Cyndi Lauper songs to distract myself.

"Just thank your lucky stars its not a holiday. You should see Volterra on St. Marcus' Day. It would be a nightmare getting into the city," Alice said with a shudder. I breathed a sigh of relief that we wouldn't have to deal with that. Bella grabbed my arm as we deplaned and I took a few shallow breaths. The airport of packed with people but at least the smell of fresh blood was fading. I watched through Bella's eyes as Alice had moved off at a quick pace. Bella was staring at the signs over our heads.

"So, this is where all those Italian lessons should come in handy." I said this softly to Bella in Italian, aiming a smile at her. She was trembling with nerves, but she seemed glad of the distraction. Her response came out shaky but vaguely amused.

"Can you tell me how to find the restroom? I would like two herring and a kilogram of calamari. Where is the nearest library?" She was obviously trying to remember some of the phrases I had taught her. She recalled quite a few as we headed for the passenger pick up area. I couldn't help a giggle when, as we made it outside in time to see Alice pull up in a bright yellow Porsche Turbo 911, Bella let loose with a few of the choice insults I had taught her during our first infamous shopping trip to Port Angeles. We slid into the car with Bella curled up in my lap. Trust Alice to rip off a two-seater sportscar.

"Osten-freaking-tagious! Leia, how do you say 'No officer, I swear I was kidnapped by the crazy vampire people' in Italian?" Bella asked. Alice snorted, obviously dismissing the chance that we would get caught. She was in high spirits.

"Sit back and enjoy the ride. I couldn't have borrowed a faster car. We should get to Volterra in plenty of time, girls."

"If we manage to avoid the roadblock." Bella's whispered comment was of course heard by both of us. I giggled and locked my arms around her. The seatbelt wouldn't help either of us in the awkward position we were in.

"Trust me, Bells. We have nothing to worry about. Just…don't watch the speedometer." I said. Bella shuddered and leaned her head against the top of mine, her eyes watching the landscape speeding by. Silence fell over the car as the tension grew. I stroked Bella's back and she ran her fingers through my curls. It was comforting. Alice glanced into the future occasionally but there wasn't any change. The sun was painfully high in the sky and I silently urged Alice to drive faster, despite the fact that the Tuscan landscape was flying by at amazing speeds.

"What are we going to do, Alice, when we get there? You said he can't hear you first." Bella's quiet question broke the quiet and Alice sighed.

"I'll drop you off and you will go to the center of town. He'll be there, under the clock tower, waiting for the clock to strike noon. The plaza will be full of people heading for lunch. It's such a beautiful spring day. You'll have to be careful, Leia. There are plenty of shadows, but you can't run through the middle of the plaza." Alice's voice was thoughtful.

"Do you see us making it in time?" Bella's anguished question made me clench my jaw. Alice's expression wavered between horror and relief.

"We'll be in time to save Edward from walking into the sun." Her answer was whispered and I felt a shiver of fear even as I felt Bella relax in my arms.

"I hear a definite but at the end of that comment, Alice. Spill it," I whispered too softly for Bella to hear. Alice's answer was just as quiet.

"The Volturi won't let us leave without an audience." If I had blood in my veins, it would have run cold.

"Should we tell Bella?"

"No. It ends better if she doesn't know what to expect. But Leia…" She trailed off and I knew there was something she didn't want me to hear, to know. She shuddered and was silent for the rest of the drive, despite my hissing at her to tell me what she saw.

"Is that it?" Bella's question drew my attention back to the scenery through her eyes. She stared at the ancient sienna walls and towers, the age old castle town crowning the peak of the steep hill. It was beautiful and under any other circumstances I would have been excited to visit the seat of vampiric power. It was a piece of Carlisle's past and therefore it was important history to me. But I didn't want Bella anywhere near that history.

"That's it."

We were all silent as Alice cruised through the gates to the walled city. I almost expected there to be guards visible here. I could hear them chatting somewhere nearby, discussing what their wives had packed them for lunch.

"Okay girls, just keep to the shadows. Leia, if you can't get to him, just let Bella go on alone. I'll be there as soon as it's safe. Pay attention and I'll give you directions." Alice parked in a quiet alley. I released Bella and she pushed the door up, leapt from the car and began running. I paused only long enough to shut the door. I didn't bother to tell Bella to slow down. We were both feeling the same urgency, not to mention I wouldn't have any trouble catching up with her. I just breathed a prayer that she wouldn't fall and knock herself unconscious.

"Take a left and run through the alley." Alice's directions rang clear in my ears. I grabbed Bella's hand, breathing a sigh of relief. Now, at least, I could catch her if she fell. I would have picked her up and ran with her, but Alice screamed 'NO!' when I thought about it. Bad idea, evidently. As we ran, well as I ran and tugged Bella along the path her eyes showed me, I tried to decide what to think at Edward when I got close enough. I ran through a few ideas until I finally hit on one that didn't make Alice say things like 'No, Leia,' 'He'll freak out,' and 'Please God, don't.' Luckily the distance to the town center was well within my hearing range, even with all the interference as we neared the commercial district and began dodging real tourists and strolling residents.

I only had to catch Bella's arm twice when she stumbled over uneven cobblestones. By the time we reached the plaza, Bella was out of breath and I was out of running room. The sun was bright overhead and there were only tiny, vague shadows around the fountain. I would have to skirt around to the left, but Bella could go straight across.

"Go, Bella." I whispered this in her ear and she broke free, dashing across plaza as I began to pick my way from shop front to shop front, ducking my head and tucking my hands in my pockets to cover as much skin as possible. I knew the minute Bella saw Edward because I heard her scream his name - just as the clock tower struck the first bell of noon. It was so loud, like thunder pealing, and unexpected enough that it hurt my sensitive ears. Between the first and second tone, I heard Alice scream at me and I started thinking loudly at my brother. The tolling bells would not drown out my thoughts as it might Bella's voice.

_All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost...She's alive Edward. Look up and see her running to you! _

As I alternately quoted Tolkien and advised Edward not to do anything stupid, the bells stopped tolling. I didn't hear any gasps or startled heartbeats to herald Edward stepping into the sun, so I kept running, caressing the sight of humans in my path to keep from tumbling over chairs and tables and sidewalk menu boards. I heard the moment Bella ran into Edward, screaming his name and telling him to step back. I finally ducked into the alley where Edward was standing, perched on the edge of the shadows with Bella in his arms.

"Carlisle was right. I can't believe how quick it was. I didn't feel a thing-they're very good," he mused, closing his eyes and pressing his lips against her hair.

"_Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty_," he murmured, and I recognized the line spoken by Romeo in the tomb. "You smell just exactly the same as always," he went on. "So maybe this _is _hell. I don't care. I'll take it."

"I'm not dead and Leia's not dead," Bella interrupted, her voice managing to convey both joy and horror at the same time. She shoved on his chest, trying to move him further into the shadows. He didn't budge. "And neither are you! Please Edward, step back."

"Don't give them an excuse, Edward. Not now that you know she's safe." I said this quietly, stepping forward to grab his arm. I wasn't quite as ineffectual as Bella, managing to tug him a few feet deeper into the shadows. He didn't let go of Bella but his focus flashed briefly to me and then back at Bella with wide, confused eyes.

"What was that?" he asked in confusion, obviously still not quite understanding.

"We're not dead, not yet! But we have to _get _out of here before the Volturi come looking for you." Bella's voice was filled with horror at the possibility, but I was resigned to it. I knew there were other vampires in the alley, deep in the blackest shadows. Not that shadows could hide them from Edward either. He hissed, pushed Bella into my arms and then shoved both of us against the wall. He stood in front of us with his arms stretched protectively. I reached out and touched his back so I could see the two gray cloaked figures move forward. I could hear another approaching, from below the street I thought, one with lighter steps.

"Greetings, gentlemen," Edward's voice was calm and pleasant, on the surface. "I don't think I'll be requiring your services today. I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters."

"Shall we take this conversation to a more appropriate venue?" a smooth voice whispered menacingly, the one on the right. I shuddered. He was as big as Emmett but I doubted he had the same winning personality of my brother. Not if he belonged to the Volturi guard. I had to suppress the urge to take Bella and dash across the cobblestone, sunshine or no sunshine.

"I don't believe that will be necessary." Edward's voice was harder now. "I know your instructions, Felix. I haven't broken any rules."

"Felix merely meant to point out the proximity of the sun," the other shadow said in a soothing tone. "Let us seek better cover."

"I'll be right behind you," Edward said dryly. "Leia, why don't you take Bella and visit a shop or two while I go have a chat with Aro?"

"No, bring them both," the first shadow said, somehow injecting a leer into his whisper.

"I don't think so." The pretense of civility disappeared. Edward's voice was flat and icy. His weight shifted infinitesimally, and I could tell he was about to start a fight. Felix shifted as well, tensing as if preparing to launch himself at Edward. I pushed Bella against the wall and stepped up beside my brother, tilting my head. Edward flashed a handsign at me.

_Stay back._

_Fat chance. I doubt they'll attack both of us and Alice'll be here in a moment. Odds are in our favor. _My thoughts back at him were carefully cheerful. It was a good thing he was a mind reader and not an empath. I never would have pulled it off.

"Edward, Leia, don't..." Bella started to protest behind us. Edward turned his head slightly.

"Shh," he murmured.

"Felix, not here." Felix growled, but he relaxed as his more reasonable partner turned to soothe Edward. "Aro would simply like to speak with you again, if you have decided not to force our hand after all."

"Certainly, but the girls go free."

"I'm afraid that's not possible. We do have rules to obey."

"Then _I'm _afraid that I'll be unable to accept Aro's invitation, Demetri."

"Aro will be disappointed," Demetri sighed.

"I'm sure he'll survive the letdown," Edward replied. Felix growled again and whispered to Demetri, suggesting they could take us easily. I felt Edward tense and I put a hand on his arm. I knew he heard Alice now. She must have gone over the rooftops rather than through the plaza. She dropped lightly into a blind alley around the corner and flashed around the store front before sliding into place on Edward's other side.

"Did I miss the party?" Her words and tone were stance casual, but I saw Demetri and Felix both take a small step backward and relax. Not because they were frightened. No, they were moving back towards their own reinforcements. The black cloaked figure came from the back of the alley. She was almost as small as Alice, but she had no curves at all and her brown hair was cropped short. She looked like an androgynous angel, but the way Edward's shoulders slumped combined with the now relaxed Felix and Demetri made me take an involuntary step back between Edward and in front of Bella. This seemingly insignificant creature was obviously no angel.

"Edward." Her voice was high and thin, the nasal quality grating on my sensitive ears.

"Jane." Edward's sigh was resigned and I knew him well enough to recognize the slight tremor in his voice. He was afraid.

"Follow me," Jane spoke again.

_Not very talkative, is she?_

Edward touched me briefly and looked at his hands. _Keep Bella out of her line of sight. _Then he watched as Alice followed Jane. Felix gestured for us to follow the other two women. The big vampire smirked and I had the urge to claw his eyes out. Instead, I stepped in front of Edward as he wrapped his arm around Bella's waist and pulled her along. He kept his other hand on my back so I didn't have any trouble seeing our path. Alice dropped back a bit.

"Well, Alice," Edward said conversationally as we walked. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

"It was my mistake," Alice answered in the same tone. "It was my job to set it right."

"What happened?" His voice was polite, as if he were barely interested. The slight tremor was still in his voice, though. He was probably picking the story from Alice's thoughts, but she spoke aloud in the same polite tone.

"It's a long story, but in summary Leia, Bella and a few friends threw a party for Laurent and I wasn't invited. I'm having a particularly bad week."

"Hmm," Edward said curtly, his eyes flickering to the back of my head. No, he was not happy with the turn of events.

_It was my fault the damned mess happened in the first place. Alice warned me not to go into the woods. It isn't her fault she can't see when the wolves are around. Besides, you think I was going to sit back in Forks while Alice and Bella came to rescue your scrawny butt? _

I sensed Edward's wince. By this time, of course, we arrived at the hole in the back corner of the alley from which all things evil, namely the cloaked trio, had spawned. Alice dropped down and I followed without fear, letting my sister catch me. Bella wasn't quite so confident.

"It's all right, Bella," Edward said in a low voice. "Alice will catch you."

"Alice?" Bella whispered, voice trembling.

"I'm right here, Bella." Alice's voice was calm and soothing as Edward lowered Bella into the hole by the wrists and let her drop into Alice's waiting arms. Edward followed quickly and he took control of Bella again, moving quickly after Jane's swiftly dissipating footsteps. Alice took my hand and we followed after. The sound of Bella's trips and stumbles were the only loud noise in the wide, damp tunnel. I could hear the gray cloaked twin menace stalking after us. Through Alice's eyes, I saw Edward press a kiss against Bella's face and into her hair. I would have smiled if our situation weren't so grave. I heard Felix sigh once, obviously impatient that we had to keep a fairly human pace for Bella. I turned and snarled softly at him. Alice jerked me forward again before he could react.

I heard Bella's heart speed up the deeper we walked in the tunnel. I doubted I could be any more comforting than Edward was, holding her close and stroking his fingers along her skin. I knew she was probably cold and damp, but I also knew that she would as soon freeze as let go of Edward right now. She proved me right when he tried to peel away from her and she clutched at him. He let her cling to him.

I clutched Alice's hand tightly, myself, trying not to give into the fear that clawed up inside me. Not fear for me, but fear for my family. Why had the Volturi demanded an audience?


	9. Chapter 9

Jane eventually led us into a bright, round room, probably a part of the original Volturi castle that Carlisle had visited centuries ago. The only furniture was heavy wooden chairs set against the curving stone walls. In the center of room was a drain. I didn't have to wonder was this room was for. The smell of old blood and decay wafted up from the center of the room. I shuddered lightly and leaned into Alice.

"Jane, dear one, you've returned!" A tall vampire in a black robe called out to Jane in delight. In knew from Carlisle's descriptions that this was probably Aro. He drifted forward gracefully and I bit back a surge of envy and imagined how good a dancer he must be. Despite that grace, he was not as beautiful as my brother, nor even as beautiful as my angel doctor. Granted he was so old his eyes had a milky glaze and his skin had a brittle look about it. That detracted a bit from his looks. I saw Edward's mouth twitch in Alice's peripheral vision.

"Yes, Master. I brought him back alive, just as you wished."

"Wonderful, child."

He turned his misty eyes toward us, and the smile brightened. "And Alice, Leia and Bella, too!" he said, clapping his thin hands together. "This _is _wonderful! Felix, be a dear and tell my brothers about our company. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss this."

"Yes, Master." Felix nodded and disappeared. I couldn't help mocking him in my thoughts, picturing him as Igor to the wicked Dr. FrankenAro. Edward's mouth twitched again and his hand flashed behind Bella's back.

_Be serious._

_Yes master. Shall I bring you a fresh brain? _I thought at him.

_Stop it, Leia. I mean it._

_Oh, fine._

"You see, Edward? What did I tell you? Aren't you glad that I didn't give you what you wanted yesterday?" Aro's voice contained just a hint of reprimand, like a teacher scolding a naughty student. Edward tightened his arms around Bella's waist.

"Yes, I am."

"I do so love happy endings, but I want the whole story. How did this happen?" He turned to gaze on Alice. "Your brother seemed to think you infallible, but apparently there was some mistake."

"Oh, I'm far from infallible." She seemed perfectly comfortable chatting with Aro. Only I felt the tremors shiver through her hand into mine. "I can cause problems as often as I cure them."

I wanted to open my mouth and defend my sister but she very nearly crushed my fingers and I grimaced. Aro wasn't buying her comments though.

"You're too modest. Edward showed me some of your exploits and I must admit I've never observed a talent like yours." Alice flicked a glance at Edward and Aro noticed. "I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced properly at all, have we? It's just that I feel like I know you already, and I tend get ahead of myself. Your brother introduced us yesterday, in a peculiar way. You see, I share some of your brother's talent, only I am limited in a way that he is not." Aro's tone was envious.

"And also exponentially more powerful," Edward added dryly. "Aro needs physical contact to hear your thoughts, but he hears much more than I do. You know I can only hear what's passing through your head in the moment. Aro hears every thought your mind has ever had."

"But to be able to hear from a distance…" Aro sighed, gesturing between my siblings. "That would be so _convenient_."

Aro looked over our shoulders. Alice looked, but I didn't need her eyes. I had sensed the newcomers in the whisper of feet across the floor and the new smells they brought along with Felix's musty-sweet stench. Felix was back with two more robed men. I noted through Alice's eyes that they both looked like Aro with the milky eyes and brittle looking skin. One had the same long black hair as Aro but the other had white hair that was just a shade or two lighter than his skin.

"Marcus, Caius, look!" Aro crooned. "Little Leia and Bella are alive after all, and Alice is here with them! Isn't that wonderful?"

Neither of the other two looked like they shared Aro's enthusiasm. Marcus, the other dark haired vampire, just looked bored. Caius, however, looked like he'd been sucking lemons. The sour vampire moved off to sit by himself, pretending not to pay any more attention to us. Marcus, however, came to Aro and touched his hand briefly, obviously sharing his thoughts. Edward snorted and I watched him as Alice looked at him. It was nice to know Edward could hear them as well as anyone else. Well, except Bella.

"Thank you, Marcus," Aro said. "That's quite interesting."

Marcus' expression didn't change as he moved to join Caius, followed by a pair of hulking vampire attendants. More members of the guard.

Aro was shaking his head. "Amazing,"' he said. "Absolutely amazing."

I was frustrated by Aro's comments and mentally nudged Edward.

_Share?_

He turned and explained in a low voice. "Marcus sees relationships. He's surprised by the intensity of ours."

"So convenient," Aro said with a smile. "It takes quite a bit to surprise Marcus, I can assure you." I raised an eyebrow in the direction of the bored looking vampire across the room. Alice didn't look at him, though, so I couldn't see if he reacted to my glance.

"It's just so difficult to understand, even now," Aro mused. "How can you stand so close to her? _La tua cantante_! What a waste!"

Edward's laugh was humorless. "I look at it more as a price."

Aro looked skeptical, but eventually he smiled. "If I hadn't smelled her through your memories, I wouldn't have believed the call of anyone's blood could be so strong. I've never felt anything like it myself. Most of us would trade much for such a gift, and yet you…"

"Waste it," Edward finished, his voice sarcastic now.

Aro laughed. "Ah, how I miss my friend Carlisle! You remind me of him-only he was not so angry."

"Carlisle outshines me in many other ways as well."

"I certainly never thought to see Carlisle bested for self-control of all things, but you put him to shame."

"Hardly." Edward sounded impatient. Evidently Aro was just chatting to amuse himself. Edward obviously saw what he was planning to do with us and he was tired of playing the game.

"But _your _restraint!" Aro sighed. "I did not know such strength was possible. To inure yourself against such a siren call, not just once but again and again-if I had not felt it myself, I would not have believed."

Through Alice's eyes, I saw Edward gaze at Aro with little expression, but I knew he must be writhing inside. To have been forced to bring Bella into this place, into the very center of the vampire universe, had to be burning him. I was trying not to think about it too much, hoping that we could get out of this without loss of life or limb. All of us.

Edward tensed, obviously reacting to something Aro was thinking.

"I mean her no harm. But I am _so _curious." He eyed Bella with bright interest. "May I?" he asked eagerly, lifting one hand.

"Ask _her_," Edward suggested in a flat voice. I cringed as Aro asked Bella if he could test her resistance to his talent. He wanted to know if he could succeed where Edward could not. I crossed my fingers that she would thwart him. I could smell the adrenaline coming off of her like crashing ocean waves, but I knew if she did not allow this experiment we would never leave this place alive. She must have known that, so she raised a trembling hand towards Aro. He glided closer and pressed his palm hers. His confident smile faltered after a moment, turning to consternation, then doubt with just a flash of fear and finally back into a friendly smile.

"Very interesting." He drifted back, looking thoughtful. "A first. I wonder if she is immune to our other talents…Jane, dear?"

"No!" Edward shouted the word. Alice dropped my hand to grab his arm. I borrowed Bella's eyes to see Jane smile up at Aro.

"Yes, Master?"

Edward was snarling now, the sound vibrating through and around the room. I wasn't sure what was about to happen, but I remembered what Edward had told me earlier. _Stay between Bella and Jane_. I shifted forward carefully, easing my way to Bella's side. The room had gone still and I heard Felix step forward once. I tensed.

"I was wondering, my dear one, if Bella is immune _to you_." Aro's words sent a shiver of fear down my spine. Jane was smirking, her red eyes almost glowing in anticipation of...what? Edward stepped between Bella and Jane.

"Don't!" Alice cried as Edward launched himself at the little pseudo-angel. I gasped as Bella watched him drop to the floor at Jane's feet, writhing in obvious agony. Jane was smiling at him now.

"Stop!" Bella shrieked at the same time as I snarled, dropping into a hunting crouch in front of Bella. No sound escaped Edward's lips as he cringed against the stones. I heard and sensed Alice throw her arms around Bella so she couldn't leapt to Edward's rescue. She couldn't hold us both. I coiled to spring at the same time as Aro called off his little demon.

"Jane," Aro recalled her in a tranquil voice. She looked up quickly, still smiling with pleasure. As soon as Jane looked away, Edward was still. Aro inclined his head toward Bella. I rose out of my crouch and stood in front of my best friend. Jane turned her smile in my direction.

"Leia, move." Alice's harsh command registered a split second too late. I fell to my knees screaming as my body exploded like a mini-sun and the world went black. The pain only lasted a second, maybe two. Jane immediately transferred her gaze to Bella, but I collapsed with a moan, unable to control the series of convulsions that rippled through my body. Not from the pain itself, but just from the memory of it. I regained enough control of my senses to reach for Bella's eyes, just in time to watch as Jane's smile turn into a glare. Bella didn't even flinch. I reflected wryly that she hadn't needed my pathetic non-help after all.

Edward was there, then, helping me to my feet. He touched my face gently, obviously concerned, but I shook my head and moved behind Alice as Edward reclaimed Bella. I heard Felix snicker behind me and for once I didn't react. Who knew what kind of super power Felix might have. I didn't want to find out so I buried my face in Alice's back and watched Jane's jaw clench. She hissed in frustration.

"Don't be put out, dear one. She confounds us all." Aro's tone was soothing as he addressed the Princess of Pain. Then he swiveled his gaze to take in the four of us and sighed.

"So what do we do with you now? I don't suppose there's any chance that you've changed your mind?" Aro asked Edward hopefully. "Your talent would be an excellent addition to our little company."

Edward hesitated. Through Alice's eyes, I saw Jane grimace and I heard Felix grunt softly. I hid a grin in Alice's shoulder. Yes, my brother would make an excellent addition to the Volturi guard and he would no doubt quickly rise through the ranks to become Aro's right hand vampire. I wasn't surprised when he refused. He tried to let Aro down easily, though. No use in making this powerful vampire angry.

"I'd… rather… not." Each word was hesitant and his eyes never left Bella's face. Aro shifted his gaze to my sister.

"Alice?" Aro asked, still hopeful. "Would you perhaps be interested in joining with us?"

"No, thank you," Alice said. He continued to stare at Alice, but his focus shifted to me.

"Ah, the littlest Cullen. A blind vampire, something I've never heard of before, so rare. And with such a convenient talent for seeing through the eyes of others, not to mention more of the famous Cullen restraint. Best friends with a human! You might make a lovely addition to our little guard as well. I don't suppose...?" I lifted my head from Alice's shoulder to look directly at him. I shook my head.

"Pity. Edward thinks very highly of your dancing, Leia. I do hope we can at least convince you to entertain us before you go."

"Well, Mr. Aro, sir, that very much depends on terms of our departure." I was so proud that I managed to address him without snarling, but my quiet response made both Alice and Edward tense. Edward flashed a warning behind his back.

_Don't talk to him._

_Oh, chill out. You're lucky I didn't say what I was really thinking. You'd wash my mouth out with soap. _I knew he had heard the rather colorful additions I'd added to the 'Mr. Aro, sir' in my head. With Jasper and Emmett for brothers, I had acquired a very colorful vocabulary of insults in a dozen different languages.

_Maybe I'll wash your brain out instead._

_Ha! Since I'm certain you're thinking worse than that about Mr. Creepy Vampire, I could return the favor._

_Just don't draw anymore attention to yourself._

_Yes, master. _I put as much sarcasm behind that thought as I could. Honestly, I couldn't believe I was snarking at him right now. Maybe I'd missed him so much that any conversation was welcome. Not to mention any distraction from the current situation was better than playing back the scene from moments ago. I felt a shudder ripple through my body. I saw Edward's hands flash an apology and I grimaced.

_I know taking the blame for everything is a reflex for you, Edward, but don't you dare apologize for the actions of the Voodoo Princess or her freaktastic Master. Just watch out for Bella so I can concentrate on morphing into Alice's shadow. _That made him relax, knowing that I didn't plan on making a spectacle of myself. Our entire conversation had taken perhaps ten seconds and that only because even vampires couldn't handsign THAT fast. Aro had just chuckled and was speaking again.

"Yes, I suppose it would." He sounded amused so I would have relaxed, but then he turned his eyes towards Bella.

"And you, Bella?" Aro raised his eyebrows.

Edward hissed and I realized that Aro was asking Bella if she wanted to join his guard. Bella was staring blankly at Aro, obviously not understanding the question. Caius spoke up then, swirling over from his wooden throne like violent wind.

"What?" he demanded of Aro.

"Caius, surely you see the potential," Aro chided him affectionately. "I haven't seen a prospective talent so promising since we found Jane and Alec. Can you imagine the possibilities when she is one of us?"

Alice's gaze flickered towards Jane and I saw her eyes spark with indignation at the comparison. I stifled the urge to laugh. She was jealous of our Bella. How ironic.

"No, thank you," Bella whispered, her voice breaking in fright. I reached forward and rested what I hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. She briefly leaned her cheek against my fingers, acknowledging my presence, and I squeezed gently.

Aro sighed. "That's unfortunate. Such a waste."

Edward hissed. "Join or die, is that it? I suspected as much when we were brought to _this _room. So much for your laws."

I heard the deliberate goad in Edward's voice, obviously using the Volturi's own agenda against them. I watched Aro blink in astonishment. I didn't think it was an act.

"Of course not. We were already convened here, Edward, awaiting Heidi's return. Not for you."

"Aro," Caius hissed. "The law claims them."

Edward glared at Caius. "How so?" he demanded.

Caius pointed a skeletal finger at Bella. "She knows too much. You have exposed our secrets." His voice grated across my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. My nose wrinkled.

"That isn't his fault. I figured it out on my own." Bella's comment was soft, but I heard the defiance lacing her words. I smiled proudly. Bella wasn't going to go down whimpering. Caius looked stunned, probably because the human had dared talk back to him. Aro looked vaguely amused.

"Oh, I don't blame him, Bella. But the fact remains that you know too much about us. We can't take the chance that you would expose us. But perhaps there is a way to avoid the usual unpleasantness, to make an exception." Aro's smooth words didn't reassure me. Edward's quiet hiss of denial let me know that Aro's 'exception' wasn't something good. His words stirred up Caius, too. He scowled.

"Rules wouldn't be rules if we made exceptions. I know what you're thinking, brother, but he does not intend to make her one of us. She is a vulnerability. Let the others go if you wish, but the girl must die." Edward pushed Bella behind him with a growl. Aro frowned, obviously unhappy that Caius had hijacked his conversation.

"I'm afraid Caius is right, dear Edward. Unless you do intend to give her immortality?"

Edward pursed his lips, once again calm, his expression smooth. Bella's arms crept around his waist again and he curved protectively around her. "If I do?"

Aro smiled, happy again. "Why, then you would all be free to go home and give my regards to my friend Carlisle. But I'm afraid you would have to mean it." Aro raised his hand in front of him, waiting for Edward to share his thoughts. Caius, who had been scowling furiously, relaxed. Edward's lips tightened into a fierce line. I sighed softly. My dear, sweet, stubborn brother. He stared into Bella's eyes and she stared back.

"Mean it," Bella whispered. "Please."

"No, some other way." Edward's teeth were clenched together. Caius looked triumphant and Aro sighed. Bella looked...dejected. Edward's reluctance to turn her, not even to save her from certain death, would seem a terrible blow to her already shaky self confidence. I heard Felix shift behind me, as if anticipating permission to take Bella out.

_You are an idiot! You'd rather she die here than turn her, Edward? Mean it!_

"It is the only way. Change her or...." Aro didn't get a chance to complete his thought. Edward's snarled denial wasn't what stopped him. It was Alice. She moved away from me and I switched my vision. Bella watched as Alice moved towards Aro with her hand outstretched. He looked startled, but he wasted no time touching her hand. After a moment of sifting through her thoughts he let go, his expression full of delight.

"That was _fascinating_!" Aro laughed, his eyes bright with excitement.

Alice smiled dryly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"To see the things you've seen-especially the ones that haven't happened yet!" He shook his head in wonder.

"But that will," she reminded him, voice calm.

"Yes, yes, it's quite determined. Certainly there's no problem."

"Aro," Caius complained.

"Dear Caius," Aro smiled. "Do not fret. Think of the possibilities! They do not join us today, but we can always hope for the future. Imagine the joy young Alice alone would bring to our little household…Besides, I'm so terribly curious to see how Bella turns out!"

Aro seemed convinced. I resisted the urge to snort in derision. I had no doubt that Edward would do his damnedest to thwart Alice's resolve. Then again, Bella was just as stubborn as Edward, so maybe that future really was set in stone.

"Then we are free to go?" Edward asked in an even voice.

"Almost," Aro said pleasantly. "I have one small request before you go."

"A condition for our departure." Edward's voice was quiet, resigned. Aro shrugged.

"Just a small thing. I wish for Leia to dance for us." I cringed and heard Felix snicker behind me.

"You don't have to do this, Leia." Edward's voice was quiet but there was a hint of desperation in his tone that told me his words weren't true. I reached out and touched Edward's sleeve. He was looking down at Bella and my friend's face was a mask of misery. She was wet, cold and frightened.

_If it gets Bella out of here any faster, I'll dance naked in a pool of jello!_

"Mr. Aro, I will dance for you, but may I make a request?" I heard the low rumble of a growl coming from Edward.

_Pipe down. Bella's safety and mental well being are more important than mine._

"If it is within my power, child." Aro's voice was smooth and encouraging, like a father indulging a beloved child's request. Just that thought made me yearn to be home, curled up in Carlisle's lap while we both read the same book together.

"Can you please allow Edward and Alice to leave with Bella now? They can wait for me in the city." I heard Alice's swift intake of breath and I wondered if I might have made a terrible mistake. Aro's response didn't seem too foreboding.

"I'm afraid we must ask that none of you leave the castle before night fall. However, I will allow them to wait in the reception area until that time. You, however, will wait with us until Heidi returns. She will not want to miss seeing you. She is a student of dance herself." Aro's smooth voice contained a hint of amusement that I didn't understand.

"Thank you, sir." I was proud that my voice didn't sound as uncertain as I felt. That uncertainty only grew when Edward finally glanced towards Alice and Aro. I felt a rush of fear, wondering what exactly I'd gotten myself into. Alice's expression alternated between horror and deep concern, but she didn't do or say anything to try and discourage me. Surely if there was real danger she would tell me? I forced myself to relax, hoping that whatever happened in the next few hours, Bella and my siblings would make it out of Volterra alive. I really, really hoped that I would be with them when they left.

"No, thank you for your indulgence, Leia. Now, Edward," Aro added, motioning to Felix with one finger. He came forward at once and Aro unfastened the gray cloak the huge vampire wore, pulling from his shoulders. He tossed it to Edward. "Take this. You're a little conspicuous."

Edward hesitated for a brief second before putting the long cloak on, leaving the hood down.

Aro sighed. "It suits you."

Edward grimaced. "Thank you, Aro. We'll wait below. Please send my sister to us at nightfall."

"Not to worry, young friend. I will not keep her against her will." Aro said, his eyes bright as his gaze flickered over me. Now why did that sound ominous? Alice came over and pulled me into a hug.

"I love you, Leia. We'll be waiting for you, remember that." Her voice cracked and I clung to her for a moment before pushing her away. When she released me, Edward turned around and reached out to touch my cheek. His eyes were focused on the hand against Bella's hip, though. Bella leaned in to kiss my cheek as he flashed a message for me.

_I'm so sorry Leia. He's determined to have his experiment. Try to be strong but remember I trust you with Bella, no matter what._

_Be strong for what? Edward, just tell me what's going on!_

_You just volunteered to be dinner-time entertainment. _

Chapter End Notes:

Muahahaha again! Feel free to clicky clicky the review button and let me know how much you despise cliffies. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Chapter Notes:

My story takes a few liberties with Wonder Twin #2's (Alec) gift, but I doubt many of his previous victims ever escaped from Volturi clutches to tell the vampire world exactly what happens to them, and so, I've allowed myself some speculation. If that offends anyone, just chuck it up to Alternate Universe. :)

And so, my first EPOV.

*****

Edward's POV

As I sat with Bella, I couldn't help but bury my face in her beautiful hair and inhale. Her scent burned down my throat like an all-consuming fire, but I would gladly suffer the incineration for this moment in time. She was here in my arms and since vampires can't sleep, I knew this was no dream. I held her as gently as I knew how, praying she wouldn't pull away. Her sobs had finally stopped and she was just looking at me with her soulful brown eyes. I couldn't help but wipe at the tearstains on her cheeks with the edges of the robe I had tucked around her.

As I looked into Bella's eyes, I felt like I was drowning in the emotions there. The fear and desperation I expected. It was the love I didn't expect to see; didn't deserve to see. The love of my Bella was something that I had thought never to see again. My dead heart expanded in my chest as I realized that she must still love me, no matter what I had done. No matter how I had hurt her, had failed her. And from what I'd gleaned from Alice's memories of her chats with Leia, I had failed her miserably. No matter how much she loved me, she still might not want me back in her life.

I could see her visually tracing my features as if memorizing them. I found myself doing the same, though honestly I could never forget the curve of her cheek, the fullness of her lips, the delicate slash of her eyebrows. I did note that she seemed thinner than my last memory, the shadows beneath her eyes were almost as deep as those under mine. I remembered Leia thinking that Bella had suffered as much as I had since I'd left. I could only pray that Leia was underestimating my level of suffering.

Looking back, I realized that I should have confirmed Rosalie's story with someone else in my family. But the news that Alice and Jasper were traveling to Forks for Bella's funeral and to search for...pieces...of Leia had rendered me completely and utterly mad. I had been fighting with myself for several weeks now, knowing that in the end I would have gone back to her. My resolve to stay away from her had been crumbling slowly since the moment I'd left her. When I had received that phone call, I'd been forced to admit my mistake. In leaving Bella, I had left her open to attack. It had almost cost not only her life but that of my baby sister.

Rose had told me that Leia had gone back to Forks just to visit Bella, but I knew why Leia had gone. She had gone to watch over her best friend, to do the task I had refused to allow for myself. How could I when my very presence put her, and in turn my family, in danger? I had left Bella to ensure she was safe, but my logic had failed. Bella was a danger magnet, so of course it would find her. Leia had seen what I had not, that our love and protection outweighed the danger we ourselves posed to her fragile human existence.

It was humbling to know my baby sister had nearly sacrificed her life to keep Bella safe while I had been chasing ghosts. Now Leia was in danger of compromising everything she believed in as a 'vegetarian' vampire to ensure we all got out of Volterra safely. I had seen Alice's visions and I prayed something would change, because Leia would have a hard time forgiving herself if she gave in to the temptation she was about to face. Even if she managed to resist, she would no doubt be devastated by the cold reality of what we are, what we are capable of. Of all of us, Leia was the most innocent and she was about to have that ripped from her forcefully.

_Don't tell Bella,_ she had thought at me as the rest of us were ushered from the chamber, her thoughts dwelling on her human friend even when she was about to suffer the toughest test of her will ever. Even as I was in near ecstasy having Bella in my arms again, I was deeply horrified by my sister's plight. Alice was seated to our left, lost in her visions as she tried desperately to see a better outcome than the bleak ones currently running through her head.

"Damn Aro and his experiments." That snapped Alice back to the present and made Bella's almost dreamy look change to concern. I used my fingers to smooth over the crease in her forehead as I whispered to Alice too low for Bella to hear.

"He wants to see if one of Carlisle's 'students' will be as stubborn as the teacher," Alice snarled softly before slipping back into a trance, still desperate to see something change. I held Bella tighter and leaned down to kiss her forehead, her cheek, her nose. Anything to distract myself until Leia was returned to us.

I listened to the sound of Bella's heartbeats and savored every one. I knew that each one was a gift, especially with Bella. As hard as I planned to fight against the inevitability of Alice's vision, the one that showed my Bella with blazing red eyes and marble skin, I knew that someday soon I might have no choice. Not only were the Volturi expecting her transformation, she was a magnet for every type of danger imaginable, both natural and supernatural. I didn't want to dwell on the fact that some of Bella's newest friends were werewolves. That was a Pandora's Box of trouble waiting to explode.

Bella put her fingers in my hair and tugged. I knew what she wanted and I pulled back so she could look at my face. Her eyes were troubled and she looked on the verge of asking something, her lips parted slightly. But I felt a shiver run through her body and she clenched her mouth closed. I wanted so much to ask what she was thinking, needed to know the questions she was afraid to ask. But I wasn't brave enough to start this conversation now, here. We had so much to discuss. Most importantly, was she willing to take me back into her life after I'd hurt her so badly? But now I just wanted to hold her in my arms and simply _be_ with her.

"You look tired." I knew I was stating the obvious but I wanted to hear her voice.

"And you look hungry. I could go sit with Alice." Her voice was hoarse from her earlier tears but it was still like perfect music to my ears. As she spoke, I felt her hands tighten on my arms. She didn't want to move and that made me smile.

"I've never been more in control of that part of my nature than I am right now, Bella." She sighed softly and snuggled closer to me, reaching up place her hand against my neck. I closed my eyes, savoring the warmth of her fingers against my skin.

"She's only dancing, right? She'll be okay?" Bella's quiet questions were like daggers, slicing away at my calm. My eyes opened and I grimaced. I couldn't bring myself to lie. I had lied to her once and it had nearly destroyed me. I didn't have the strength to do it again, not while her eyes were locked with mine.

"I hope so." My whispered words made her clutch at me in panic.

"What does Alice see?" Her frightened question made me shake my head. I couldn't lie, but I also refused to tell her what Alice saw, either of the two outcomes. Luckily, Alice came to my rescue.

"She's coming home with us." Alice's soft, halting comment made Bella relax, but I saw the reason for the hesitation behind Alice's words. I buried my face in Bella's hair and shuddered. At least this outcome was better than the last two Alice had seen. In one, Leia had let Aro talk her into staying with the Volturi after she drank blood from two humans. The other had seen Leia dead at Aro's feet, Felix standing over her with a triumphant expression. Yes, this one was better, but Leia's actions would haunt her for the rest of her eternal life.

_She's going to need Carlisle._

Alice's stray thought made me sigh. Bella wrapped her arms around me and tucked her head under my chin. I didn't know if she was trying to be comforting, but I breathed a prayer of thanks and let her warmth seep into my stone, cold body. She was in my arms, alive, and if not completely safe at least I knew that any harm that came to her now would happen only after I was well on my way to becoming a smoldering pile of ashes.

It was about ten minutes later when I heard Felix's dark thoughts. Leia had managed to anger Felix, not to mention a few other vampires, and he wanted nothing more than to see all of us humiliated and destroyed. I shifted Bella and hissed at Alice. My sister leapt to her feet and rushed to the wooden doors behind the human receptionist. I saw in her mind that Felix would have tossed Leia in the floor at our feet. Alice intercepted him as soon as he came into the office. He shoved our sister's limp body into Alice's arms with a growl.

"You have half an hour to be out of our city, before I talk Master Aro into allowing me to rip you apart and give your little human to Jane for dessert."

Bella cringed against me with a muffled cry of fear, her face buried in my chest. Felix snarled once and then turned, slamming the door behind him with such force that I felt the building shudder under my feet. I stood, cradling Bella against me. Alice had her cheek pressed against Leia's face, murmuring comforting words so softly that even I couldn't make them out. I could hear nothing of Leia's thoughts and it frightened me. I had to concentrate very hard not to crush Bella against me in desperation and rage. Instead, I turned and rushed from the office, determined to be out of the city in well under thirty minutes.

Bella clung to me as I ran, Alice close on my heels. We didn't slow down until we were out of the building and into the street. We stayed to the shadows as much as possible, not wanting to attract any attention. The last thing we needed was to give Felix an excuse to come after us.

_I suppose the porsche is out of the question. _Alice's fleeting thought about the car was laced with regret. I growled softly.

"It's a two seater, Alice. Here, lay her down and go find us something we'll all fit in." We were in a courtyard two blocks from the gate leading out of the city. Alice gently laid Leia down on the stone bench beside me and disappeared into the night. I knelt beside the bench and Bella finally turned her face out of my cloak.

"What's wrong with her?" Bella's words were laced with disbelief and fear as she let go of me and reached out to lay her hands on Leia's still form. I released her and she stumbled a bit before falling on her knees over Leia. She sobbed softly, burying her face in Leia's shirt. I still couldn't hear any of Leia's thoughts. Her eyes were closed and her face was slack. It terrified me, because I had never heard of a vampire being rendered unconscious.

"I'm...so...sorry." Bella's broken apology shattered my frozen heart and I sank down beside her. I put one hand on Bella's shoulder and laid the other against my sister's hair, stroking gently.

"Isabella, you have nothing to apologize for..." I trailed off as Bella looked up and dashed her tears away angrily.

"Don't coddle me, Edward. I know the only reason she stayed was so they would let us leave. What did they do to her? Is she...going to be okay?" She wavered from angry to guilty to broken and I let my hand slide down her arm and then around her waist, pulling her to me as we both watched over Leia. I sighed softly.

"Jane's brother, Alec, has a gift that is supposed to do the opposite of what Jane does. His victims feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. They are usually conscious, just unable to see or hear or feel. But Leia...I can't hear her thoughts," I whispered the last, so quietly that Bella leaned close to my mouth to hear. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her friend, my sister.

"Leia, we're alright. Alice is going to steal us a nice, fast car and we're going home. I know how much you've missed Carlisle and Esme. I'm sure they'll be waiting for us at the airport," Bella spoke quietly to Leia and I continued to stroke her hair. I longed for a phone to call Carlisle, certain that he would know what was wrong with Leia. He would know what and how to fix it. Or perhaps Jasper would know. He had more knowledge of the Volturi's methods than any of us.

I heard the sound of a car, a low purr that vibrated the cobblestones under my knees. I looked up to see a dark sedan pull around a corner.

"Bella, Alice found us a ride. Climb in and I'll bring Leia."

We drove to out of the city at vampire speed, Alice at the wheel with Bella against my side and Leia cradled in my lap with her legs draped across Bella's knees. I tried to encourage Bella to sleep but she was being stubborn. She kept one hand on Leia's ankle and her eyes on my face. I spent my time alternating between conversation with Alice about our travel plans, whispering tenderly to Leia, and gazing right back at Bella.

As we sped away from Volterra, I felt my world shifting back onto its axis again. Despite my sister's catatonic state, I felt the stirring of hope along my dried out veins. Hope that my heart would be restored to its rightful place in my chest and my life would become more than a series of hollow moments without meaning. Without Bella. Even if she told me to leave her alone once we reached Forks, I would never truly leave her. I would be her shadow protector, her avenger, her guardian vampire. Not because it was right, but because I could no longer fight my need to be close to her.

"You were right, baby sister. I never should have left her alone. Forgive me," I whispered into Leia's ear, softly enough that not even Alice could hear. And then I heard it, the sweetest thoughts I'd ever heard.

_...forgive you anything if you can hear me. Just promise never to leave us again._

"Leia, sweetheart, I can hear you." After reassuring Leia, I announced her mental presence to the car. "I can hear her!"

"Oh, thank God. Leia, sweetheart, it's going to be okay." Bella's relief was evident as she shared a pained smile with me. Leia still hadn't twitched a muscle, but she was replaying the scene from Volterra in her head.

_Oh, Edward, I killed them! I kill so many!_

My sister's mental wail of anguish hit my gut like one of Emmett's full force tackles. I gathered her close and steeled myself against her guilt as I leaned back towards her ear to whisper comfort.

"You eased their suffering, Leia. They were dead the moment they walked into that room."

_You don't understand. I wanted to kill them all. I wanted to drink them all dry. _Leia's thoughts now were horrified and I brushed my lips across her forehead.

"You're a vampire, Leia. That's a perfectly natural reaction. But you didn't let your instincts rule you. That is what makes you special, little sister. That's what makes you a Cullen."

_Oh, Edward, I've missed you so much._

"And I, you, Leia. Never again, I promise."

_Until you and Bella go on your honeymoon, anyway._

I was relieved by Leia's thoughts. Her teasing was lighthearted, complete with a mental pout. She still held onto her natural optimism, even in the face the nightmares of the day, and she trusted me to put things right with my beloved. I couldn't stop the sad chuckle that escaped and I heard Bella sigh beside me. I looked over to find her tired eyes looking up at me and I thought there might be tears there. I leaned down and put my forehead against hers.

"She'll be fine now, Bella, I promise. You really should sleep," I coaxed Bella but she shook her head, her eyes locked with mine. I started to hum her lullaby and she actually glared at me and pouted.

_She won't sleep, Edward. Just leave it be. She's just as stubborn as you are. _Alice's thoughts made me grimace. I stopped humming and sighed. Bella's breath hitched and then she inhaled deeply. Surely she hadn't missed my scent as much as I'd missed hers.

_Is she alright?_

Leia's query didn't really distract me from staring at Bella. One more reason to actually be grateful for my vampire brain.

"Yes, Leia. Bella is fine. We're well out of Volterra and we'll be on a plane for home…Alice?" I asked, despite the fact that I could see the answer in Alice's head myself. I saw Bella snugged against my side on the airplane. Leia was still motionless, sprawled across two first class seats and Alice's lap while Alice ran her fingers through Leia's loose curls. Alice kept looking further ahead, but the future was hazy. There were still too many decisions to be made.

"In about an hour, Leia. We'll be home in less than 24 hours," Alice addressed Leia with happiness evident in her voice. Home. The word once again held meaning for me. Now if only Leia would wiggle, twitch, move something, it might ease some of the guilt eating at me for putting my little sister in this situation. For leaving in the first place. I would have a lot to answer for in the next few days and I could only pray that in the end, my little sister would be okay and that Bella could accept me back into her life. God knows I didn't deserve any of it.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Chapter Notes:

This chapter is a little intense and it is the reason this story is rated T. There is no graphic violence, but it deals with the death of child. If this would disturb you, please skip down to the line of *'s.

Leia's POV

When Edward told me what Aro had planned, I almost balked. The only thing that kept me from running out of the round stone room screaming was my certain knowledge that if I didn't complete this test, pass or fail, Bella would not be alive tomorrow. I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that neither of my siblings would have allowed me to do this if Bella's life were not in danger. And so I clasped my hands behind my back and endured the horror as dozens of humans were herded into the room by Heidi.

"Dance for us, Leia." Aro's words were spoken softly, but I heard the command beneath them. He had welcomed the whispering humans into his lair, pretending to be the gracious host. I was to be the last thing they remembered before their lives were ripped from them. Literally. So with a heavy heart, I danced to a lullaby only I could hear, a sweeping symphony of grief, and begged God for strength.

I made myself look at each face in the round room, memorizing each expression through the eyes of those closest to them. Some of them were watching me, enjoyment obvious on their faces. Some of them just looked uneasy, their eyes flickering around and landing on each vampire in the room in succession. And then there was the young boy, clutching tightly to his mother's hand with a look of terror in his eyes. In the end, it would be the boy who both saved and damned me.

When I finished my dance, I dropped a curtsey to a smattering of applause from both human and vampire alike. And then the screaming started. The aroma of fresh blood blossomed around me, triggering the venom in my mouth to flow freely. So freely that I felt it trickle from the corner of my mouth. I wiped it away with disgust as I stopped breathing, stopped looking, stopped moving. It was too little, too late. I felt my sanity slipping away as the monster in my head roared for a taste of ambrosia.

"Momma, momma, mommaaaaaa!" It was that scream that stopped me. It wasn't like the other screams, not like the quickly fading sounds of a dying soul or the wails of those awaiting their fate. No, this was a child's nightmare mingled with the endless, shattering sound of his mother's pain. I had been in the middle of a leap, my hands stretched out to snag the closest prey, but I twisted my body mid-air and landed on all fours with a snarl. I found myself watching through the little boy's eyes as his mother writhed in the throes of agony. Not because she was being bitten, but because Jane was smiling at her.

"Psychotic Bitch. I'll teach you to play with your food." The words were hissed, softly enough that Jane didn't hear. If she had, no doubt she would have shifted her malicious smile in my direction. The monster in me roared again, but this time it wasn't for blood. It was for death. I spun through the middle of the room, leaving broken silence in my wake as the humans huddled there screaming for mercy found it by my hands. I was a blur to them, moving too fast for them to comprehend - their own personal angel of mercy, albeit a fallen one.

As I whirled my way to the boy's side, I began hearing growls and snarls as the rest of the vampires noticed I was killing their food. I knew Jane would gleefully put a stop to my dance of death once she realized my goal so I didn't have time to reassure the boy or comfort his mother. The vampire holding the child back was smaller than me and male. He hissed in surprise as I snapped the boy's neck. I danced quickly away from him and leaned down to put the boy's mother to rest.

***************************************************************

I managed to register both relief and horror before the pain started. Relief that the sounds of suffering had stopped and horror that I had just killed a half dozen human beings. No matter how noble my reasons were, no matter that I had not given in to my thirst, I was still a killer. That was the last thought I had before Jane snarled and I felt the fires of hell consume me.

I screamed and thrashed as the flames licked my body. I had no control over my response to the pain but my vampire brain was still capable of calculating the passage of time and I counted each agonizing second, waiting to be put out of my misery. Waiting for Felix to grind me into dust. Unfortunately I heard Aro tell Felix to 'let Jane and Alec handle it'. It was then that I begged my own angel of mercy for relief. To my great surprise, my prayer was answered. Or so I thought.

Vampires aren't supposed to have clear human memories, but I remembered the black void. That dark, senseless place was where I had suffered for months as a human in a coma before I'd rediscovered my senses - before my angel doctor had rescued me, before Edward had become my sole means of communication with the outside world. Yes, I remembered it clearly and somehow I found myself sliding into it again as the pain slowly subsided and each of my senses melted into the black nothingness.

Even in the void, time seemed to have meaning. I reveled for a brief moment in the freedom from pain before I began to panic. What had I done? Had my actions condemned Bella and my siblings to death? I began to push on the darkness as I had so many years before, desperate to hear, smell, taste, feel anything. Even the searing pain of Jane's vicious smile. It didn't work.

I didn't I think I was dead. I had survived the void once before, hadn't I? Besides, life after death was either heaven or hell. Peace and love versus pain and suffering. This was just senseless limbo.

_Then again, maybe this was purgatory_, I thought hysterically. _No_, I told myself, _I'm not dead. I'm just a comtose vampire_. Somehow that wasn't any more comforting. Vampires didn't sleep and as far as I knew, we didn't possess a subconscious. Everything in our heads operated on a conscious level. Technically I was completely conscious now, just in a completely unattached to anything physical kind of way.

_Edward, if you can hear this, I swear I'm not going crazy. Okay, maybe just a little loopy._

I began reciting Tolkien. That was always good for hours of fun. But I found myself unable to concentrate. After more than a decade as a vampire with hypersenses and the ability to 'see' through the eyes of others, the void was almost impossible to bear. I stopped to push against the blackness again and again, straining to hear something. It seemed like years before I finally beat it, but I knew it was only hours. Edward's voice whispered in my ear. I could barely hear it.

"You were right, baby sister. I never should have left her alone. Forgive me."

_Edward, oh, Edward! Can you hear me? Please, please, oh please, I'll forgive you anything if you can hear me. Just promise never to leave us again._

"Leia, sweetheart, I can hear you. I can hear her!" I was overjoyed when my hearing gradually improved so that I could hear to purr of a car's engine. We must be headed away from Volterra. I still couldn't feel anything, yet, though. I tried to borrow my brother's eyes but I saw only darkness.

"Oh, thank God. Leia, sweetheart, it's going to be okay." Bella's voice was even more welcome than my brother's at the moment. She was alive! I could hear her heartbeat, now that I focused on it. My dear human friend. Just the thought threw me into a panic as I remembered what I'd done.

_Oh, Edward, I killed them! I kill so many!_

"You eased their suffering, Leia. They were dead the moment they walked into that room."

_You don't understand. I wanted to kill them all. I wanted to drink them all dry._

"You're a vampire, Leia. That's a perfectly natural reaction. But you didn't let your instincts rule you. That is what makes you special, little sister. That's what makes you a Cullen."

_Oh, Edward, I've missed you so much._

"And I, you, Leia. Never again, I promise." The pride and love in Edward's voice was too much for me to bear, too much to accept right now. So I turned my thoughts away from what I'd done and focused on the joy that came with knowing we were all safe, that my family was going to be whole again.

_Until you and Bella go on your honeymoon, anyway._

I threw my brother a mock mental pout. I wanted him to know that I trusted him to keep his promise and to make things right with Bella. I heard his sad laugh and knew that although he appreciated my thought, things weren't all better.

I heard Bella's sigh and I longed to reach out and touch her, but I couldn't chance moving. While I couldn't use my senses to guide my movements, I might accidently hurt Bella. In all honesty, I didn't know if I _could_ move. I felt frozen, like my muscles were on lockdown. My senses seemed to be returning to me slowly, though. I knew that I was cradled in Edward's arms. I tried once again to borrow his eyes and was relieved when Bella's face appeared. She had tear tracks on her face and she was looking at me. Then her gaze shifted to Edward and I saw a myriad of emotions reflected in her eyes, from fear to love to fierce determination.

I switched to looking through Bella's eyes and, though it was only dimly lit to her human eyes, I could make out Edward's face, his jaw, his mouth, the dark shadows that were his eyes. It was harder to make out the emotions on his face without proper illumination.

"She'll be fine now, Bella, I promise. You really should sleep." I heard and saw Edward speak softly to Bella and then he started to hum her lullaby. For some unknown reason, he stopped humming almost immediately and sighed. I listened curiously as Bella's breath hitched. She inhaled deeply and then her heartbeat sped up.

_Is she alright?_ Was she hurt or just enjoying Edward's breath on her face?

"Yes, Leia. Bella is fine. We're well out of Volterra and we'll be on a plane for home…Alice?"

"In about an hour, Leia. We'll be home in less than 24 hours." Alice's voice was filled with genuine happiness for the first time in...well...since Bella's birthday. I mentally relaxed but I was still worried. What was wrong with me? I tried to breathe in, but my body didn't respond to the request. Not that I needed the air, really, but in order to smell or taste, drawing a breath was pretty essential.

"I think it has something to do with Alec. I don't know the full extent of his gift, but I know it anesthetizes the senses. I don't know why you're having trouble moving, though." Edward responded quietly to my thoughts.

_Maybe it has a paralytic side effect? Like vampire nerve gas._

I remembered a random bit of trivia Jasper had mentioned about the Volturi's methods of execution. They would immobilize the culprits before sending in the death squads, so they couldn't run or fight back. Thankfully Aro had denied Felix the pleasure of pulverizing me and incinerating the bits.

"You didn't break any of their laws, Leia. Aro couldn't kill you without a better reason than that you ruined their dessert course." Edward's comment was too quiet for Bella to hear, thankfully. I couldn't bear the thought of her knowing what I'd done. It was bad enough that my siblings knew, that they would undoubtedly tell the rest of the family. I pushed those thoughts away quickly. I had other things to worry about right now.

_Will it wear off?_

I tried to keep the fear out of my thoughts, but I doubted I was successful. Edward crushed me against his chest and sighed into my hair. I knew then that he didn't know, which meant Alice couldn't see me coming out of this yet.

"Carlisle will know." Edward's words were like lifeline that I grabbed with both mental hands and held onto for dear life.

****

Airport security was a nightmare. Even with the psychic and the mind-reader, it was hard get the overzealous Italian officials to overlook the fact that I had all the animation of a corpse. I was relieved when I finally managed to convince my traitorous body to inhale. It was like breathing with a two ton weight on my chest, but a couple of shaky breaths were enough to convince the customs officials that my brother wasn't trying to smuggle a corpse aboard the plane.

"She moved!" Alice was overjoyed as she shared the news with Bella while we raced (okay, so technically I was being carried and Bella was being pulled) to our gate. I felt Edward's face against my neck, felt his mouth shift into a smile.

_So, one little head jiggle is supposed to make me happy?_

I couldn't resist referencing The Princess Bride. It seemed so fitting at this juncture. True love, adventure, torture and the Volturi Brute Squad.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You've been mostly dead all day." Edward's gentle reply made me want to giggle, but it was still a struggle just to suck in enough air to look convincingly not dead to anyone that might be looking. Was it getting any easier? I didn't think so. At least my senses all seemed back to normal. I spent the entire time taxiing out of the terminal watching planes take off and land through the eyes in the control tower and focusing in on conversation in our plane's cockpit.

_Does Alice see me walking anytime soon?_ Edward asked Alice for me.

"In a couple of days, Leia. It'll be slow going, but you'll be as good as new by the end of the week." Her quiet words were a relief. Knowing made the next sixteen hours of flight time almost bearable. Knowing I would be okay also let Edward shift all his attention back to Bella. Neither one of them was talking much, just gazing at each other like the love sick creatures they were. Bella was barely awake, but she was hanging onto consciousness tooth and nail.

When we finally touched down in New York, I found myself cradled in Edward's arms again. It would have looked too odd to have Alice carry me. Bella was too exhausted to do more than whimper a protest when Edward peeled her away from him and handed her off to Alice, who had to wrap her arm around Bella's waist to support her through the terminal to our next gate. Alice and Bella walked in front of us and Bella kept craning her head back over her shoulder to make sure Edward was still there.

_She thinks you're going to disappear, you know. Leave again once she's back in Forks._

"No." It was just a whisper of denial, too soft for Bella to hear. Whether just denying the fact that he could ever leave her again or the fact that Bella was expecting him too, I wasn't sure. I sighed softly, actually making a sound as I forced air out of my lungs.

_You cut her deep, Edward. She loves you with everything she is, but she doesn't trust you. You can't sweet talk yourself out of this one. You're going to have to prove yourself again._

"How?" That one word was laced with so much anguish and fear that I would have flinched if capable. I did, however, manage to force my hand up to touch the side of his face. He caught it between his cheek and his shoulder, holding it there when it would have immediately fallen back to my side.

_Well, I guess the two obvious things are time and patience, but that will be easy for you. It's the less obvious things that will be harder. You'll have to be protective without smothering, considerate without stepping on her toes, thoughtful without overthinking. Above all, communicate. Bella wants to be your partner, Edward, which means you have to stop making life altering decisions without consulting her first. Your relationship, and in all honestly the rest of our lives, can't keep becoming a rerun of Edward Knows Best._

Edward didn't respond immediately but I knew he was quietly considering my mental rant. After a few moments, he sighed softly.

"You've really thought this over, haven't you?"

_I've done little else the last six months, Edward. More so the past three. Honestly I'm sick to death of worrying over it, so please, please, please make this work._

"I don't really have a choice, do I? If she wants me, I'll do whatever it takes to win back her trust. And yours."

_Thank you._I tried to convey both relief and love into my mental tone and I felt him smile against my hand.

"No, baby sister, thank you."

The next plane ride, I concentrated on moving as much as possible while Alice used the satellite phone to talk with Jasper. Bella was still doing her darnedest to stay awake and even had the flight attendant bring her a coke. Edward had expressed his displeasure, knowing Bella needed to rest, but in the end he let her have the caffeine when Bella said something about having nightmares. I was glad vampires couldn't sleep, because I knew I'd have a few of my own. Unfortunately we did have perfect recall and I was battling with my memories as I tried to push my body out of its semi-frozen state.

By the time Alice hung up the phone, I was completely conflicted. On the one hand, I was ecstatic. My family had already made the move back to Forks. On the other hand, I felt a sick sense of dread in my belly. Alice had told Jasper what had happened, her voice hushed but of course not too quiet for me to hear. He would surely tell the rest of our family. How could I face my father after what I had done?

For the past three months I'd been lying to my entire family about where I'd been. Not just lying but breaking a promise that Carlisle had made for all of us. I didn't regret that but I didn't know if my father would be so quick to forgive and forget. Not when I had even worse sins to my credit now.

My angel doctor had forgiven Edward his rebellion so many decades ago. He had even forgiven my siblings their occasional slip-ups. But I had not just slipped up, letting the monster win the battle of wills for human blood. Nor had I, like Edward, killed the human filth that preyed upon the innocent. No, I had killed the innocents myself, and in doing so had jeopardized the safety of my family by angering the most powerful coven in the world.


	12. Chapter 12

When the plane touched down in Seattle, I was able to sit up by myself so for the sake of being inconspicous, Alice asked the flight attendant to have a wheelchair waiting for us. It was both a relief and a disappointment. I didn't want to pull Edward and Bella apart again just so Edward could carry me, but I was selfish enough to admit I had enjoyed having him carry me. I'd missed him ferociously. He leaned down and brushed a kiss across my forehead once I was settled in the garish blue chair.

"I missed you too, little sister."

I smiled before he pulled away, half escorting and half carrying Bella along behind us. Alice walked beside me and answered the concerned question that the nervous airport employee asked about my 'condition'. Edward had come up with some exotic sounding disease that temporarily affected the motor functions in humans as my cover story and Alice lamented over it again for her new audience. That kept the walk through the terminals from being completely silent and gave me something to focus on besides the impending reunion with my family.

Before we reached the security checkpoint, Edward maneuvered himself and Bella so they were walking in front of us. Alice had her hand on my arm so I saw Bella perk up just as we rounded the last corner.

"Jazz." Alice's soft whisper was my only warning before she removed her hand. I quickly switched to sharing Bella's eyes. She had zeroed in on our family, standing back along the wall, half in the shadows. Alice went straight to Jasper and they stood staring at each other, wrapped up in their own brand of silent love. Carlisle and Esme rushed forward to greet Edward and Bella. I heard the employee mutter behind me in disbelief.

"Wow." The wheelchair stopped so abruptly that I nearly toppled out of it. I borrowed the escort's eyes as he took in the strange perfection that was the Cullens. I might have found his reaction amusing if I wasn't fighting to regain my balance. If I'd been human, I would have had sweat popping out on my forehead with the effort. Only the hand I had managed to clasp around the armrest kept me upright and I felt it bowing under the weight of my grip.

"Where's Leia?!" Esme's frantic question made me desperate to shout 'I'm here' at the top of my lungs. The best I could do was a whisper of sound, but it was enough. Esme zeroed in on me and through the eyes of the escort I saw the shock in her eyes. I cast back in my memory to Alice's conversation with Jasper, trying to remember what she'd told him about my physical state.

_"She's having a little trouble moving right now, but she'll be alright by Friday, Jasper, I swear it. No, she got hit by Jane and then Alec after she..."_

I slammed the door on the rest of that memory and fought down the surge of shame and panic that came with it. I felt hysterical laughter bubble up inside me but I shoved that down too. I didn't want to freak Jasper out while he and Alice were having a moment to themselves.

I found myself enveloped in my mother's strong embrace as she dragged me from the chair, supporting my weight easily. I did my best to try and return the hug, but my arms wouldn't cooperate fully so in the end I just let her hold me. She whispered brokenly in my ear, alternating between loving comfort and frantic questions that I couldn't answer and frankly didn't want to.

I heard Edward thank our escort and advise him that they would carry me to the car. He put up a token protest but didn't linger long. In all this time, I didn't hear anything from Carlisle and I couldn't get a good look at him. Bella had gone back to looking at Edward and Esme was seeing little else but my hair. The few humans in the area were focused on Esme and I or they were politely not watching our little reunion.

From the quiet comments Edward was making now, I guessed that Carlisle was asking him silent questions about what exactly went on in Italy. I wanted to scream at Edward to lie, to tell Carlisle anything but the truth if he didn't know it already.

"Leia, love, he knows most of it. He doesn't love you any less, I promise." Edward's whispers for me did little to reassure me as he promised Carlisle that Alice would give him more details in the car. Evidently he would be riding with Rosalie and Emmett while the rest of us took Carlisle's Mercedes home. After that I sensed Carlisle's approach. His hand gently caressed my face. My spirits lifted at his touch. Then he stepped back.

"Love you, Leia. I'm going to pull the car around." His voice sounded strained. Esme looked at him and through her eyes I saw two things flash across my angel doctor's face before he turned and moved away. The disappointment I had been expecting but that wasn't what shook me to the core. It was the rage. I wanted to scream but all I could do was groan. If I'd had complete control of my body, I would have run after him and begged for his forgiveness.

Edward was suddenly there, tugging a half conscious Bella with him. He cupped my face with his free hand and whispered in my ear.

"He's not angry at you, little Lei, I promise. Give him just a moment to compose himself and he'll hug you just as tightly as Esme did." I struggled to believe him. Edward wouldn't lie to me, not about this. Would he? Who could make my perfectly controlled, compassionate father angry enough that he needed a moment to control his emotions?

"He's angry at them, Leia, for doing this to you." Edward's gentle words should have brought relief, precious comfort. Instead, they had the opposite effect as the weight of the last six months, and especially the last two days, came crashing down on me. I shattered under a load of guilt, despair, anger and shame, collapsing into weak, tearless sobs against Esme's shoulder. I felt a warm hand on my back and realized that Bella, too, was offering me comfort, despite her obvious exhaustion.

"Jasper." I heard Edward call softly. Then he and Bella were gone and Jasper was there. Esme reluctantly released me to my brother, her own breath hitching suspiciously.

"Don't cry, little Leia. You're breakin' my heart," Jasper whispered this as he picked me up and held me close, hitting me with a powerful wave of love and calm as he walked slowly, for a vampire, towards the exit with the rest of our family on his heels. My sobs subsided but not even Jasper's gift and gentle soothing murmurs could completely smother the darkness that had settled onto my soul.

As we walked out into the noisy pickup area, I was able to pick out the gentle purr of the Mercedes as it pulled up and the smooth, throaty growl of the Volvo as it idled. I forced myself to focus on something positive then. Like the fact that my family was all here. All of them, right down to Bella. As Edward slid into the backseat of the Volvo, all the while completely ignoring Rosalie, I distinctly heard Bella murmur.

"Nigh' Lei-Lei. Love 'ou."

"Night, Bells. Love you, too." I managed to whisper this, knowing full well that she wouldn't hear it. Edward told her what I'd said, though.

I was obviously in no mood to deal with Rosalie right now, so I was glad when she didn't do more than kiss my forehead and murmur a simple 'I love you' and 'I'm so sorry' before moving back to the Volvo. Emmett lingered a little longer, stealing me from Jasper long enough to give me a rib cracking bear hug. His hug was just as soothing as one of Jasper's emotional tranquilizers. I managed to whisper a greeting and smile for him before he ran off to the car as Edward quietly reminded him they needed to get Bella home.

_Don't forget, Charlie thinks Bella was escorting me back to L.A. He's going to be furious that Bella hasn't checked in with him._ I thought this as loudly as I could at Edward as the car drove away.

"I'm more worried what he'll think about me...us...coming back to Forks." Edward's quiet comment made me shudder. Edward was definitely not Charlie's favorite person these days. I was glad that my brother was essentially bulletproof. I picked my brother's faint sigh out of the traffic noise as Rosalie began weaving through the late afternoon airport traffic.

"Give her to me." I heard my father's gentle voice and I was passed from Jasper's arms into Carlisle's. I was torn between joy and panic. Joy that he wanted me close and panic when I thought about the questions he might ask. The panic didn't stand much of a chance, though. Even without touching me, Jasper managed to flood me with enough warm fuzzies to counteract a bout of hyperventilation. I think Carlisle still noticed something, though. He crushed me close and pressed his cheek against my own.

"If you ever, ever leave your mother and I to worry like that again, I will personally track you down and drag you home. God how we've missed you." My father's words made me relax and I inhaled shakily, breathing in his smell. That smell was home for me and I slowly gathered my strength, sliding my arms up his shoulders and around his neck so that I could lock my fingers behind his head.

"I'm sorry, father." My whispered comment made him sigh as he slid us both into the back seat of the car. He and Esme settled into a position much like Bella and Edward had taken on the ride out of Volterra, with me in Carlisle's lap and my legs in Esme's. Then Jasper took off on a thrill ride that would have made _World's Wildest Police Chases_ look tame. Of course with Alice in the car, we managed to avoid making the show's top ten chases list.

Between the interesting ride and Esme telling me all the things she'd done while I was away, I had something to focus on besides the conversation going on between Carlisle and Alice regarding Italy. It helped for a while, but eventually she told them the worst of it. Neither of my parents acted surprised as Alice described my rampage, but Esme's grip on my legs tightened and Carlisle's hand stroked lightly up and down my spine. Despite those comforting touches, I felt Jasper working overtime to combat the anger and guilt I felt as I relived the memory yet again.

After that, the conversation deliberately turned to less trying things. Carlisle outlined our public reasons for returning to Forks. That Esme didn't like big city living would be our fluff excuse. The more serious one, the one that would be carefully fed to the rumor mill, was that Edward and I had both run away from home for a time and this was the compromise that had gotten us back home to stay. Ironically, it was actually a lightly veiled version of the truth.

By the time we pulled into the house, I was on the verge of another breakdown. I desperately needed to talk things out with Carlisle and I was certain he was desparate to start a full medical examination. Granted the car wasn't the best place for either a conversation or an examination. Carlisle climbed out of the car and paused so Esme could kiss my forehead. Then she and Alice went to finish unpacking the giant moving van sitting in the driveway.

I still felt a thin blanket of calm as Jasper followed Carlisle up the stairs to my room. Jasper settled quietly against the doorframe but I felt the comforting blanket retract, leaving Carlisle and I alone with our emotions. Carlisle moved to my couch and sat, gathering me against him. I sensed that he was ready for a serious discussion now and I tried not to tense up.

"Leia, daughter of my heart, don't ever doubt that I love you. In all honesty, no offense to your siblings, you hold a very dear place in both my heart and your mother's. When I turned Edward, I was looking for a companion, a friend and a brother. Esme, I knew, was to become the love of my life. Rosalie, bless her, was my horribly failed attempt to give Edward what I had found in Esme. Of course, Emmett was for Rosalie, and well, Alice and Jasper found us instead of the other way around. You, my darling girl, have been the closest thing to a true child Esme and I could have asked for."

"I'm so sorry." I whispered, my heart burning with shame. I knew that Carlisle loved me unconditionally, but that made disappointing him even more painful.

"And so you should be, Leia, but not for the reasons you think. I am disappointed that you've been lying to us for months, letting us believe you were traveling about the country chasing after Edward. That was irresponsible and it caused no end of worry for Esme. And for me. I never thought I would understand human fathers, but believe me when I say I can empathize with Charlie Swan right now."

"I apologize for making you worry. I had to look after Bella, but I should have handled it better." That was my longest speech since Volterra and it had taken a horribly long time to say, even slower than a human would have spoken.

"Yes, you should have. But we should have handled things differently as well. We never should have left Forks, despite Edward's insistence. At the time, however, even I thought it was for the best."

"He broke her when he left." My slowly murmured comment caused Carlisle to sigh and drop a kiss on the top of my head.

"I think we all underestimated the depth of Bella's devotion to Edward. I knew how devastated Edward would be without Bella, but to think she would feel his absense so keenly..."

"She is his mate. Human or not, the bond is just as strong as with you and Esme."

"Perhaps. But that's for Edward and Bella to work out right now." He sighed, then. "I suppose we must discuss Volterra, mustn't we?"

"No time like the present." I tried to inject humor into my words, but I didn't suceed. In fact, Jasper felt the need to add a comment at this point.

"I'm not letting either one of you out of here until you resolve some of this anger and guilt, so start talking."

"I killed seven people, innocent people." I decided to dive right in, prepared to drown in the shame that had been flooding my soul from the moment the deed was done. Carlisle pressed his face into my hair and he sighed.

"I know, darling child. If I could take that burden from you, I would." His smooth voice broke once and I moaned softly. Of all the things I was expecting him to say, that was the last. It was like a bit of driftwood in the ocean of guilt and I grabbed for it, both spiritually and physically. I struggled to pull myself closer to him, to cling to him instead of just hanging limply in his arms.

"I should have been stronger." This brought a bark of dark laughter from Jasper.

"You expect too much of yourself, Leia. You're only a decade old by vampire standards and only a quarter century if you count your human years. Trust me when I say that the control you show is exceptional. To stop yourself mid-lunge for prey is truly amazing. I doubt even Edward could manage that."

"Jasper is right. You were manipulated into that situation, Leia, by minds far more complex and devious than your own. I'm not saying what you did was the best or right solution, Leia, but in the end you acted against your own instincts and showed mercy when there was little hope for it. For that, I am proud of you." Carlisle's gentle words washed over me, taking most of my shame with it. It would take time to forgive myself for the actual act of taking lives, but my father was right about the rest and I allowed myself to bask in his pride.

"I was so scared you would hate me." I could tell him my greatest fear, now, after he had already proven it was an impossibility.

"Never, my littlest love, never could I hate you. You are such a bright spot in my life and I will always be thankful for you. As for what happened in Italy, I am angry. Not at you, but at my so-called friends. I know I should be more objective. I know how they think and what drives them, but I'm afraid I'll never be completely rational where my children are concerned. Even the ones too old to need looking after." Since I was borrowing Carlisle's eyes, I saw the quick glance he threw in Jasper's direction and saw Jasper smile indulgently.

"I doubt any of us will ever outgrow the need for your wisdom and insight, Carlisle. You truly are like a father to all of us."

"Thank you, Jasper. Now, I suppose we've talked enough about this for now. Let me have a look at you." And so the examination began.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Chapter Notes:

Okay, this chapter borrows a lot from SM's New Moon, but you will notice the subtle differences in Edward's behavior if you're familiar with the scene. He really is _trying_ to take Leia's advice to heart. :)

*****

Well, the next several hours were tense, to say the least. After Carlisle examined every inch of me and declared that physically I was as healthy as any other vampire he knew, he and Jasper began to debate what exactly happened when Alec had hit me with his voodoo powers. It was Esme who finally halted that conversation when she came upstairs to say that it was all speculation anyway and that we needed to help me get better instead of debating the cause of the problem. To say I was relieved was an understatement.

Carlisle decided the best way to 'help me get better' was intense physical therapy, vampire style. Alice had bounded upstairs when this was suggested and immediately announced that she now saw me walking on my own ten hours earlier than her previous prediction. So began the torture. Well, it wasn't really torture since everyone in the family pitched in, but it was frustrating. If it was one thing I lacked that most vampires had loads of, it was patience. Sometimes I think I would be happy to trade some of my self-control for a little more of that elusive virtue.

As I was poked, prodded, pulled and forced to stand, sit, crawl, shuffle, talk and even sing, I counted the seconds towards Alice's foreseen prognosis - 'Good as new'. It helped to have something to focus on besides my worry over how Bella and Edward were doing. Despite Alice's assurance that Bella would sleep well into Thursday, I still worried. There was only one moment during the process that my countdown or Edward and Bella weren't at the top of the list of things running through my mind. Rose took her turn at my side.

"Can I get a few minutes alone with Leia?"

Rose's voice was hesitant, almost meek, which in and of itself was earth shattering. Rose was never meek and rarely ever hesitant. I sensed the tension in the room rise a few notches, but a second later I was alone with my sister. I could tell by the noises and the retreating scents that everyone had decided to take a stroll in the woods beyond the house.

I was sitting on my couch, a feat I was proud of since it meant I could hold myself up, and I had my hands resting in my lap. Rosalie moved closer and knelt in front of me, taking my hands in her own. I immediately saw my face through her eyes and her own reflected in my glasses. She had a pained expression on her face, but of course she still looked like a supermodel.

"Rose..." I started. She cut me off.

"No, let me talk. You're my baby sister and I do love you. Very, very much. I know I don't say it and I probably don't show you enough, but when I thought you were gone, I had a melt down. All I could think about was how much we would need Edward. How much _he_ would need _us_. So I didn't wait to call him until Alice knew for sure. I mean, Alice is never wrong!" Rose was agitated now, as was evident by the crushing grip she had on my hands.

I winced and she noticed. She sighed and her grip loosened before she went on, her voice almost a whisper. I easily identified the emotion underlying the words as shame. Not because I heard it often in Rose's voice, but because I was still struggling my own.

"I didn't know he would react like that. Over a human! I'm sorry, so very sorry. If he hadn't gone to Volterra, you and...Bella...wouldn't have followed him and none of this would have happened. Please, can you forgive me for being so stupid?"

Rose and I had so little in common, but the one thing we did share was our family. We both considered our family to be the most important thing in the world. My only problem with Rose of late had been her complete inability to accept Bella as Edward's saving grace, his other half. Even Jasper, despite his lapse in control on her birthday, saw how much Bella meant to Edward and had accepted her as part of the family.

"I will accept your apology on one condition, Rose. Promise me you'll stop treating Bella like she's the antichrist. She not out to hurt our family." I slowly reached up and put a hand against my sister's face and was thrilled when she leaned into my palm, closed her eyes and sighed softly.

"I'm trying, Leia, really I am. I know how much she means to Edward and I'm trying to come to terms with it." Her voice held an underlying note of envy for Bella and it confirmed my belief that Edward's regard for Bella had somehow bruised her ego. If Rosalie had a fault, it was her vanity. That a human had managed to capture Edward's attention and affection when she, a perfect specimen of vampire beauty had not must sting her overweening pride.

"That's good enough for me. I love you too, Rose." I patted her cheek gently and she gave me a relieved smile and pulled me into a quick hug before asking where Alice and Esme had left off moments before. I sighed and went back to forcing my body to move at more than unbearably slow human speeds and worrying about Edward and Bella.

"Edward and Bella will be here in a few minutes." Alice's voice was nearly shrill with tension. Evidently it was a split second decision on one of their parts, or she would have warned us earlier. It was just Esme and I in my room at the moment and she froze with indecision.

"Alice, what…" It was Emmett's voice but Alice cut him off.

"We're meeting in the dining room. And Leia will walk down the stairs to get there." Alice's voice had calmed considerably, so whatever she saw must be alright. Esme relaxed again and helped me to my feet. If I was going to walk downstairs it might take a while so best start now. Esme wrapped her arm around my waist and patiently helped me move towards the door. I concentrated on picking up my knees so that I was walking and not just shuffling. Okay, maybe plodding was a better description, but it was a joy to be in motion. I gave Carlisle a smile when he came to the door to check our progress. Through Esme's eyes I saw him return it with a relieved one of his own.

"Looking good, my girl. We'll have you running by twilight tomorrow at this rate." Carlisle's proud tone made me push a little bit harder. We made it all the way to the top of the stairs before I heard Edward and Bella talking outside. It was a very private conversation but after I heard Bella laugh, really laugh like she was truly happy, I couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Not really. More that, either way, I'm not trying to wake up. Not tonight." Hmmm…that statement from Bella made me wonder about the rest of the conversation.

"I'll earn your trust back somehow, if it's my final act." Edward murmured softly, as if to himself. My heart ached when I heard the determination in his voice. I prayed it wouldn't come to that. I'd had enough Romeo style theatrics to last an eternity. We all had.

"I trust _you_. It's me I don't trust." Bella's quiet words made my brow furrow in confusion and made Carlisle murmur a concerned question. I shook my head and tapped my ear. He raised an eyebrow and I grinned unrepentantly and shrugged. He rolled his eyes and we started down the stairs. It was almost easy with Edward and Bella's conversation distracting me, Esme's arm around my waist and Carlisle in front of me holding my hands.

"Explain that, please." Edward was obviously as confused as I was. His voice was much closer now. They were very close to the house.

"Well-" Bella paused as if struggling to find the right words. "I don't trust myself to be…enough. To deserve you. There's nothing about me that could _hold _you."

I resisted the urge to slap my forehead and groan at Bella's words.

"Your hold is permanent and unbreakable. Never doubt that," Edward whispered. _Yes, brother dear, tell her that a few hundred times and maybe she'll eventually believe it._ I noticed vaguely that I have made it down four steps and Carlisle was beaming. I gave him a distracted smile in return and he squeezed my hands as I lifted my foot about an inch off the wooden step I was on and forced it forward.

"You never did tell me…" Edward continued.

"What?" Bella asked, voice a little bit suspicious.

"What your greatest problem is," Edward said, sounding genuinely concerned about whatever that thing could be.

"I'll give you one guess." Bella sighed and I echoed her, knowing what was coming. I reached tentatively and found myself looking through Bella's eyes. It was very dark, with only the stars and a waning moon illuminating my brother's pale face. I watched as Bella lifted a finger and gently touched Edward's nose. Edward nodded, his expression grim.

"I'm worse than the Volturi. I guess I've earned that."

"The worst the Volturi can do is kill me." Bella's response sounded a little exasperated. I paused on the first landing, waiting for her to continue. "You can leave me. The Volturi, Victoria…they're nothing compared to that."

I cringed, knowing that those words would be a terrible blow to Edward. I wasn't surprised by them. I had already warned Edward how hard it would be to earn back Bella's trust. I watched as his expression twisted into a tortured mask. Bella stroked his cheek, her voice barely a whisper.

"Don't be sad."

I watched Edward try to smile for Bella then, but even in the dark I could tell it was only half hearted. He knew, now, exactly how hard he was going to have to work to earn back Bella's trust, to prove that he wanted her, would be there for her. Always.

"If there was only some way to make you see that I _can't _leave you," he whispered. "Time, I suppose, will be the way to convince you."

"Okay," Bella agreed, an almost cheerful note in her voice. I relaxed with another sigh and let Esme coax me down another step. It looked like Bella would give Edward all the time he wanted to prove himself. Edward's expression was still pained and I listened as Bella tried to distract him from their dark conversation with a light hearted question. "So, since you're staying. Can I have my stuff back?"

I smiled when Edward actually laughed. There was still pain behind his eyes, but it was fading.

"Your things were never gone. I knew it was wrong, since I promised you peace without reminders. It was stupid and childish, but I wanted to leave something of myself with you. The CD, the pictures, the tickets-they're all under your floorboards."

_"Really?" _Bella's response to his almost sheepish response was almost violent. Edward nodded, a little more of the pain leaving his eyes. Bella's voice was wondering when she spoke again.

"I think," she said slowly, "I'm not sure, but I wonder… I think maybe I knew it. Leia was right all along."

"She usually is." Edward's voice contained a hint of humor now, but he wasn't going to be distracted. "What did you know?"

"I never really listened when Leia told me that you would come back to me some day, and I think some part of me, my subconscious maybe, believed what she was saying. Believed that you still cared for me. That's probably why I was hearing the voices."

"Oh shit." That was me, cursing as Bella told Edward something she probably shouldn't have.

"Leia, language." Esme's voice was stern.

"Sorry mom." I made my voice as apologetic as possible, but I was dreading the conclusion of the conversation going on outside. I heard the shifting of floorboards as Jasper moved up the stairs to join us. I felt a wave of calm wash over me and I giggled as it counteracted the dread curling in the pit of my stomach. I watched through Esme's eyes as my father and brother exchanged puzzled glances.

"I'll explain later," I muttered. As Carlisle explained to Jasper that I was eavesdropping on Edward and Bella, I focused back on that particular act of subterfuge.

"Voices?" Edward was _so_ not happy.

"Well, just one voice. Yours. It's a long story." Bella's eyes showed me the wary look on Edward's face. Well, she'd succeeded in distracting Edward from his tortured pain. Now he was just worried about Bella's sanity, and with good reason. There had been a few times during the last few months that I had questioned it myself.

"I've got time." Edward was ripping off Carlisle's especially patient voice, the one that he used when trying to calm an angry or hysterical patient. Or Rosalie during one of her snits.

"It's pretty pathetic," Bella said, her tone obviously hopeful that Edward would just decide to let the subject drop. Not a chance. Edward was silent, waiting. She finally continued. "Did Leia or Alice tell you about the…motorcycle?"

"Motorcycle?" he asked. His Carlisle imitation was slipping because I heard the hard emotions brewing under the patience.

"I guess she didn't mention that part." Bella's voice broke a bit and rolled my eyes. _Just wait until I tell him about your plan to try cliff diving_, I thought to myself.

"Cliff diving?!" Oops, I guess they were close enough to the house now that Edward could pick up on my thoughts. Edward's patience was completely shattered and Bella saw a frantic look in his eyes.

"She doesn't tell you about the motorcycle but she tells you about the one thing I didn't do?" Bella's voice was incredulous.

"Bella, you promised…" Edward's voice cracked and Bella reached up to cup his face in her hands.

"Shh, Edward. I know I was being reckless and stupid, but when I was doing something dangerous...I could remember you more clearly. I could remember how your voice sounded when you were angry. I could hear it, like you were standing right there next to me. Mostly I tried not to think about you, but this didn't hurt so much-it was like you were protecting me again. Like you didn't want me to be hurt.

"And, well, I wonder if the reason I could hear you so clearly was because, underneath it all, I always knew that you hadn't stopped loving me. Even before Leia came back." Bella's voice was soft now, awe evident as she came to that realization. I grinned happily as we finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, where Emmett was waiting for us. I fell into his open arms with a happy laugh and he picked me up and swung me around.

"You keep this up, you'll be running circles around Edward in no time, little sis." Emmett's words were excited and I heard the rest of my family chuckle. I was excited too, honestly, but not just about being able to walk down the stairs. I couldn't help but hear Bella declare she was having an epiphany.

"You love me," Bella marveled.

"Truly, I do." Edward's words were soft, sweet and filled with urgency. And then there was a silent (well nearly silent if you didn't have super vampire ears that could make out the shifting of cloth against cloth and the soft sounds of lips meeting) pause. I let Emmett carry me the rest of the way into the dining room and settle me in the chair next to Esme's. He kissed my forehead and then settled next to me. I noticed, when Esme reached over to pick up my hand, that we had a new dining room table. The old one had been perfect for our family before Bella. It had sat eight. The new one was a long oval with nine chairs around it and room for at least two more.

"It was time for a change, I think." Esme's must have noticed my free hand running along the smoothly polished mahogany in front of me. I turned a bright smile on her and she leaned down to kiss my cheek.

"How much longer, Alice?" It was Rose, who despite her attempts to act otherwise was looking a bit nervous as she settled on Emmett's other side. Alice danced into the room after us and perched beside Jasper.

"A few minutes." Alice turned to her husband and he gazed at her tenderly. Esme turned to do the same with Carlisle and I left her vision. As much as I loved looking at my father, it was odd to see him looking back at me the way he looked at Esme. Left without visual stimulation, I went back to eavesdropping on Edward and Bella. They seemed finished with their liplocking session.

"You were better at it than I was, you know." Edward told her tenderly.

"Better at what?"

"Surviving. You, at least, made an effort. You got up in the morning, tried to be normal for Charlie, followed the pattern of your life. When I wasn't actively tracking, I was… totally useless. I couldn't be around my family-I couldn't be around anyone. Not even Leia...especially not Leia. She missed you so much and that just made it worse. So I ran away, curled up into a ball and let the misery have me. It was much more pathetic than hearing voices. And, of course, you know I do that, too."

"I only heard one voice," Bella corrected him. Edward laughed, the sound of it moving closer as he lead Bella towards the house.

"Are you sure I can't talk you out of this insanity?" Edward's voice was strained and pleading as they neared the door. Ah, so Bella was the one that wanted to come over at one o'clock in the morning. I had wondered about that, was still wondering what was so important that she couldn't have waited until morning.

"This affects them now, too," Bella said and my brow furrowed. I would have asked Alice what they were coming to talk about, but they were already stepping into the house. I sat back in my chair and borrowed Esme's eyes again. The lights in the front room came on as Edward moved through it with Bella and Esme sighed. She would feel guilty for not thinking to turn them on herself. Carlisle moved from his chair to go greet them.

"Welcome back, Bella. What can we do for you this morning? I imagine, due to the hour, that this is not a purely social visit?"

"I'd like to talk to everyone at once, if that's okay. About something important."

"Well then, I suppose it's a good thing we're already gathered for a chat." Carlisle's voice contained a hint of humor and Bella giggled.

"I'm sure Alice had nothing to do with that. Is Leia...?"

"Leia's doing well, Bella. She walked down the stairs on her own." They were walking into the dining room now. Bella looked like she'd just rolled out of bed and there were still shadows under her eyes, but she seemed...brighter, more alive than I'd seen her in months. I turned in my chair and gave her a brilliant smile.

"Hi, Bella!" She and Edward moved forward as one and I was smothered in their combined embrace.

"You look so much better," Bella said with a relieved smile.

"I could say the same for you," I said gently and Bella kissed my cheek. Edward leaned in and kissed my forehead before he led Bella around and sat her at the foot of the table, opposite Carlisle. I noticed that he carefully put himself between Jasper and Bella. Esme glanced at Jasper just then and I noted that despite the tightness around his eyes, he seemed fairly relaxed. Esme then glanced at Alice, probably to get a feel for what was about to happen. Alice was wearing a grin, but I saw a glimmer of worry in her eyes.

"Well," Bella started. "I'm hoping Alice has already told you everything that happened in Volterra?"

"Everything," Alice assured her and I shuddered lightly. Esme squeezed my hand under the table and I sighed softly.

_Please tell me _she_ doesn't know everything, Edward. _

Esme was watching Edward and Bella, so I had no problem seeing him handsign behind Bella's shoulder.

_No. Not that it would make a difference in how she feels about you. She'll ask you eventually._

He was right. Bella had an almost insatiable sense of curiosity and a need to know the truth. She knew me well enough to know I wouldn't have danced for Aro and his cronies given a choice. If I didn't tell her, she would seek out another source and demand to know what had really happened in the round room. And she would undoubtably blame herself for the outcome. One more reason not to tell her. I didn't need anyone to share the blame for what I'd done and I didn't want her to carry that burden. _Some things are better left unsaid. _

_I agree, but Bella can be tenacious._

_True._

"And on the way?" Bella was asking Alice. My sister smiled smugly and nodded. I was confused for a moment. What had Bella and Alice talked about on the way to Italy that would...oh. I was suddenly clued in to what this whole clandestine, middle-of-the-night meeting was about. I remembered when Alice had promised Bella that she would turn her if Edward didn't. I also remembered my whole-hearted agreement with Alice at the time. Edward narrowed his eyes at me and I pretended not to notice.

"That, too," Alice said with a nod.

"Good, we're all on the same page." She paused for a moment, probably gathering her thoughts. "So, I have a problem. Alice promised the Volturi that I would become one of you. They're going to send someone to check, and I'm sure that's a bad thing-something to avoid. And so, now, this involves you all. I'm sorry about that." She looked around the table, pausing at each member of the family briefly before her eyes finally came to rest on Edward. His face was adorned with a grimace. I'm sure mine wasn't much better. Trust Bella to take the blame for everything. I strengthened my resolve to never tell her what had truly happened in Volterra.

"But, if you don't want me, then I'm not going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not." Bella continued. I felt Esme shift beside me and knew she was about to say something. Bella held up a finger to stop her and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Please, let me finish. You all know what I want. And I'm sure you know what Edward thinks, too. I think the only fair way to decide is for everyone to have a vote. If you decide you don't want me, then… I guess I'll go back to Italy alone. I can't have _them _coming _here_."

"Not a chance in hell," I muttered under my breath. Edward was growling and for once I seconded his violent response. I would personally build a twenty foot tower and lock her away like Rapunzel before I allowed her to traipse off to Italy to throw herself to those monsters. When I saw my brother's eyes flash briefly towards my chair, I had no doubt he was thinking the same thing.

"Taking into account, then, that I won't put any of you in danger either way, I want you to vote yes or no on the issue of me becoming a vampire." Bella gestured towards Carlisle to begin. I wasn't surprised when Edward interrupted.

"Just a minute." He paused for a moment when Bella glared at him, raising his eyebrows. "I have a...suggestion to make. Before we vote." Bella sighed. "About the danger Bella's referring to...I don't think we need to be overly anxious." His expression became excited and he put his hand on the table, leaning forward.

"You see," he explained, looking around the table while he spoke, "there's something they didn't think of."

"Which was?" Alice prodded, her tone skeptical.

"The Volturi are overconfident, and with good reason. When they decide to find someone, it's not really a problem. Do you remember Demetri?" He glanced down at Bella. She shuddered, answering his question without words. I remembered Demetri, too, but I had been more concerned with Felix.

"He finds people-that's his talent, why they keep him. Now, the whole time we were with any of them, I was picking their brains for anything that might save us, getting as much information as possible. So I saw how Demetri's talent works. He's a tracker-a tracker a thousand times more gifted than James was. His ability is loosely related to what I do, or what Aro does. He catches the… flavor? I don't know how to describe it… the tenor… of someone's mind, and then he follows that. It works over immense distances. But after Aro's little experiments, well…" Edward shrugged.

"You think he won't be able to find me," Bella said flatly.

"I'm sure of it. He relies totally on that other sense. When it doesn't work with you, they'll all be blind." My brother sounded smug and I sighed, seeing where he was going with his reasoning.

"And how does that solve anything?" Bella actually sounded confused.

"Quite obviously, Alice will be able to tell when they're planning a visit, and I'll hide you. They'll be helpless. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack!" Edward was obviously enjoying his little fantasy. He even exchanged a smirk with Emmett.

"But they can find you," Bella reminded him. I sighed, knowing what Edward would say to that.

"And I can take care of myself." Again with the smugness. Emmett laughed and reached across the table towards Edward, extending a fist.

"Excellent plan, my brother," he said with enthusiasm. Edward stretched out his arm to smack Emmett's fist with his own.

"No," Rosalie hissed.

"Nice." Jasper's voice was appreciative.

"Idiots," Alice muttered. I rolled my eyes.

_Alice is right. You're all idiots. Bella isn't going to go for that._

Bella straightened up in her chair, her mouth set in a scowl. I sat back with a half smile as Bella proved me right.

"Absolutely not," Bella said. "Not only will they be after you, they'll be after Alice. And Leia. I won't have them after Leia again," Bella said firmly. I was shocked to hear the fury in her voice. I was humbled that she would be so protective of me, despite the utterly ridiculous thought that she could protect me from things that made nearly immortal vampires tremble in fear.

"So, let's vote." She looked at Edward first. "Do you want me to join your family?"

"Not that way, Bella. Not because you're afraid." My brother's eyes were soft, his expression pleading. I had expected a no from Edward. What I didn't expect was the way he said it. As if he had accepted the possibility of Bella's change. Bella must have noticed too, because she gave him a sad smile and touched his cheek before she moved on.

"Alice?"

"Yes." That was a given.

"Jasper?"

"Yes," he said, voice grave. Again, not surprising. Even if Jasper thought Edward's little 'Hide Bella and Run' plan was inventive, it would put Alice in danger and Jasper wasn't having any of that. Just as Bella was Edward's top priority, Alice was Jasper's. Not to mention Jasper felt he owed Bella a great debt for his actions last fall.

"Rosalie?"

My sister hesitated, her anxiety obvious by the way she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. I found it ironic that Bella and Rosalie shared a nervous habit. "No."

Bella turned her head slightly, moving on, but Rosalie stopped her.

"Please, let me explain," she pleaded. "I don't mean that I have any aversion to you as a sister. It's just that… this is not the life I would have chosen for myself. I wish there had been someone there to vote no for me."

I wasn't surprised by Rose's vote, but I was surprised that she explained her reasoning. I knew she was being sincere. Rose had a deep seated desire to _be_ human, perhaps the only one of us that would trade anything, even her mate, to regain that humanity. Bella's completely lack of regard for her own humanity was hard for Rose to understand. I saw a new respect for Bella in Rose's eyes, however, and I knew that the two of them had found the same common ground that Rose and I had. Our family. Bella had saved Edward from certain death and she was willing to face death herself, alone, to keep our family safe from the Volturi. That was enough to earn Rose's admiration.

Bella nodded slowly, obviously surprised, before she turned to Emmett.

"Hell, yes! We can find some other way to pick a fight with this Demetri." Emmett's explosive answer startled me. Bella grimaced a little, obviously disturbed by the thought of anyone in our family picking a fight with the Volturi. I had to agree with her. Which was why I could not condone Edward's course of action. If he tried to defy the Volturi it would come to a fight. I didn't need Alice's gift to see that our family would be hunted down and very possibly destroyed. Edward could see only Bella. I saw not just Bella, but our entire family.

"Leia?" And so it came to me. I saw Edward's resigned expression. He knew my decision.

"I do want you to know I agree with Edward on one thing. You shouldn't be doing this because you're scared. But since I know you would want this even without the Volturi breathing down our necks, I'll respect your decision. You will always be my sister, Bella, human or vampire. So, Yes. "

"Thank you, Leia." Bella gave me a teary eyed smile and then turned to Esme.

"Yes, of course, Bella. I already think of you as part of my family."

Bella's smile widened briefly before she turned towards Carlisle. I saw her pull her lip between her teeth, obviously nervous about our father's response. She need not have worried. Carlisle wasn't looking at her, but at Edward, his expression a mix of apology and resolve.

"Edward," he said. Edward's jaw was strained tight, but he said nothing, looking away from Carlisle and back at Bella. I wanted to comfort him. I knew this was possibly the hardest conversation he had ever had to sit through.

"It's the only way that makes sense," Carlisle continued. "You've chosen not to live without her, and that doesn't leave me a choice." Edward let his head fall into his hands and I saw Bella's expression waver between relieved and pained. It finally settled on relieved, but she rested her hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Thanks," Bella said softly, her voice hoarse with emotion. "Thank you. For wanting me as part of your family. Okay, Alice. Where do you want to do this?"

Alice stared at Bella, her eyes widening with terror. I gasped and would have voiced a vehement denial if Edward hadn't done it for me.

"No! No! NO!" Edward roared, his head snapping up. He cupped Bella's face in his hands and his eyes were frantic. Esme clutched at me and I clutched back, panic rising at the thought of Bella going through the change now, here.

"Are you insane? Have you utterly lost your mind?" Edward was shouting and I was in full agreement this time. Bella was completely nuts. There was Charlie to consider. And the treaty with the Quileutes. And a few dozen other reasons why turning her now was a bad idea.

"Um, Bella," Alice interjected in an anxious voice. "I don't think I'm _ready _for that. I'll need to prepare…" Yet another reason against doing this now.

"You promised," Bella said, glaring at Alice.

"I know, but… Seriously, Bella! I don't have any idea how to _not _kill you."

"You can do it," Bella encouraged. "I trust you."

Edward snarled in fury. I was amazed. Edward was actually completely unable to form a coherent sentence. Alice shook her head quickly, looking panicked. Evidently she wasn't much better off. I opened my mouth to attempt to talk sense into Bella myself.

"Oh, Bella..." And that was the extent of my ability to speak. There was too much to say and I could find the words to say them.

"Carlisle?" Bella turned to look at my father but Edward had a firm grip on her face with one hand, forcing her to look at him. He thrust his other hand out at Carlisle, as if he could stop him from speaking. Carlisle ignored him.

"I'm able to do it," he answered. Nice to know one of us could talk. "You would be in no danger of me losing control."

"That's good. Thank you." Bella's response was quiet.

"Dad, no." That was all I managed aloud. In my mind I was screaming. _What?! No! Edward, I'm not opposed to this, but I'm definitely opposed to this NOW! _Luckily, Edward learned how to talk again.

"Please, Bella. It doesn't have to be now." His voice held just a hint of the panic we must both be feeling.

"There's no reason for it not to be now," Bella protested.

"I can think of a few." Edward said darkly.

"Of course you can," Bella said, glowerly.

"Bella, he's right. Think of Charlie." I finally found my own voice, managing to throw out the one thing knew would make her pause. Edward let go of Bella's face and folded his arms across his chest, his smile relieved.

"Exactly. Listen to Leia if you won't listen to me. In about two hours, Charlie will be here looking for you. I wouldn't put it past him to involve the police."

"All three of them." But she frowned, flashing me a look of betrayal.

"Bella, don't look at me like that. I'm all for you joining the family officially, but _they_ are not going to come storming in here tomorrow to check on you. You have time. Use it to find out exactly what you're getting into and to...well...to say goodbye." My voice broke on that last, not just for Bella, but for Charlie as well. I had gotten to know Charlie over the past few weeks and I knew how much he loved Bella.

"In the interest of remaining _inconspicuous_," Edward said intensely, obviously begging Bella to listen to reason. "Can we please put this conversation off, at the very least until after graduation?"

"That's a reasonable request, Bella," Carlisle pointed out. I watched Bella through Esme's eyes, and relaxed when I saw her nod slightly at Edward.

"I'll consider it, but only if you will consider being the one that does it." That request made Edward's eyes widen and I saw him jerk back from Bella with a groan. Bella looked on the verge of tears. "Please Edward. Just think about it."

Edward's nod was a mere tilt of the head but Bella's smile was bright and I saw Edward loosen up a bit in the light of it. He sighed softly.

"I should probably take you home," he said quietly. "Just in case Charlie wakes up early." We all nodded, most of us reluctantly, and Bella's gaze fell on me. She hopped up from her chair and skirted the table, coming to a stop in front of me. She pulled me up from my chair and into a tight embrace. I carefully, and slowly, lifted my arms to return her hug.

"Love you, Lei. Thank you, for everything. Even the things I don't know about." Her whispered words in my ear made me shiver lightly and she noticed, stroking my back. I leaned into her as much as I dared and drew a deep breath of her unique scent. I grinned slightly, and despite the fact that Edward would probably growl at me for it later, I spoke my mind.

"No, thank you for saving Edward. For saving our family, little sister." Bella snorted softly.

"Little sister? For the sake of being _inconspicuous_," she emphasized the last word and gave me a triumphant look. "I'm older than you, remember?"

"In this house, Bells, I get to claim the eight years I've got on you." Bella grumbled and I giggled. Edward rolled his eyes and gently pulled Bella away. I sat back down on my chair. I probably would have crashed back into it, but Esme caught me on the way down and eased me down gently. In Esme's eyes, I noticed both Bella and Edward watch me with concerned expressions.

"She'll be perfect by tomorrow. We're doing some physical therapy and its helping." It was Carlisle's voice. The pride and affection I heard warmed me to my toes. I turned my head to beam at him. Bella and Edward both relaxed and Edward leaned down and kissed me on both cheeks and then my forehead.

"Love you, Lei. I'll be back after I take Bella to school." I reached up and clasped his forearms.

_And you can tell me how things went with Charlie last night._

I saw Edward's grimace reflected in my glasses and sighed. Evidently Bella wasn't the only person Edward would have to convince he was worthy of trust again. Of course Charlie had always been wary of Edward, so it was going to be an uphill battle.

_I'll help where I can. Charlie really is a pushover once he gets to know you_. I gave Edward my best cheeky smile and he snorted softly. I saw the glimmer of amusement in his eyes and I was glad. There was entirely too much angst flying around and we all needed some levity before it landed us back in the pit of despair.

"More Princess Bride references?" Edward's eyebrow lifted and I shrugged.

"When the movie fits..." I trailed off meaningfully. I saw Bella give me a grateful smile out of the corner of Edward's eye. I knew she appreciated my attempt to lighten Edward's mood, even if she hated when we had what she thought of as 'one-sided conversations'. And that was the only reason I didn't ask her the one question I was burning to ask. I wanted to know if Charlie had mentioned anything about the Quileutes, but I knew that would start a whole new conversation. I decided to let sleeping dogs lie...pun completely intended.

"Go home, Bells, maybe get some more sleep. I'll see you tonight if I can convince Edward to bring me over. I want to see Charlie." Then Edward drew Bella away to run her home before Charlie woke up. Best not add insult to injury where the chief of police was concerned. Bella was probably grounded until graduation as it was. I sighed as Emmett caught me up and ran me out to the river. Evidently swimming was next on the vampire therapy schedule.

Chapter End Notes:

And so, did you like slightly less violent Edward? And don't panic. I promise Adam will be referenced in the next chapter. Some of you are wondering if I've left him by the wayside, but I promise he'll be back in full force in the third installment of this series. :)


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Chapter Notes:

Okay, about this chapter...it's a new POV, so its really an experiment for me. I wanted to try something different. Let me know how I do.

I don't own it. My love for Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series is my inspiration, so the last thing I want to do is infringe on her copyright.

*****

Jasper's POV

As I walked back towards the house with Leia, I worried about my littlest sister. She was too quiet. Our hunts alone together were rare, since I usually spent most of my time with Alice and she usually hunted with Edward. Once we'd had our fill, she was usually talking a blue streak as we took the long route home. I didn't have to respond so much, because as she often said, she was just happy to have me to herself. Now, it was different. Now, I was doing all the talking. Which meant our conversation was pretty non-existent.

Of course I shouldn't be surprised. The last three months away from our overprotective, watchful eyes had changed Leia. Of course it had started during the debacle in Phoenix with James, when she'd gone from being the protected to being the protector. We had stopped seeing her as just our baby sister, the precocious child who thought of Carlisle as an angel, worshiped the ground Edward walked on and lived to help Emmett with his pranks. She had begun to grow up.

But she had never lost her unerring optimism, the childlike joy that had always bubbled out of her. It had been like ambrosia to me. I hadn't felt joy like that from her since the day Edward decided Bella was better off without us. The day we started packing to leave Forks. I missed it and I wanted so badly to take away the darker emotions lurking in her now. Despite the fact that our family was together again, all of us including Edward's Bella, she still struggled with anger, shame and a curious sadness that I couldn't begin to understand.

"So, how is Charlie?" I tried opening a conversation. Edward had taken her to see Charlie last night as promised. Today, Edward, Alice and Carlisle were all at Forks High reenrolling. Leia was back to normal, physically, but she and I had taken off so that we could go hunting. It was the Friday before Spring Break, anyway.

"He's...okay. He was torn between wanting to shoot Edward between the eyes and wanting to ground Bella for life, which would of course have included banning Edward from the house." Leia's mood shifted to one of dark humor. "Like that would have mattered, anyway."

"You say he _was_ torn?" I knew they'd come to some kind of arrangement, I just hadn't asked for details last night. I had been too wrapped up in letting Alice know how happy I was to have her home safe.

"Bella and I negotiated a truce, as it were. Well, mostly Bella. She threatened to come live with us if Charlie wouldn't be reasonable about Edward. I was worried he'd have a heart attack on the spot." Leia's emotions flickered from amused to slightly concerned and back to amused. "So Bella is under house arrest with strict visitation hours until Charlie is satisfied."

That wouldn't take long. Charlie had a soft spot for Bella and she was the model daughter. Well, if you discounted her penchant for hanging out with every monster in the neighborhood. First us, then the werewolves. I grimaced, hoping the whole werewolf situation didn't blow up in our faces. Carlisle had suggested calling a meeting on neutral ground to discuss the treaty. If Bella was going to be turned, we'd have to either renegotiate or move again. Permanently this time.

"What about you? I hear you're supposed to be grounded as well." I couldn't help a grin at the thought. Technically Leia _was _grounded. Carlisle and Esme had gotten her promise that she wouldn't leave the house without telling them where she was going and when she would be back. It didn't count as punishment, really, because Leia didn't mind the restriction in the least. As long as she was sure Bella was safe, she was happy to stay close to home.

"Part of the negotiations. I get to spend weekends at Bella's house."

"Ah, so Edward can go hunting."

"Yup. No doubt Alice will tag along with me. Edward doesn't trust just me to be enough protection if Victoria shows up. Not that I blame him. After my fight with Laurent, I'm ready to admit I'm not equipped to fight alone." And her mood was back to that curious sadness. I doubted she was sad that Laurent was dead. The only other thing that might be causing it was thoughts of the werewolves. I was about to ask her point blank about it when she stiffened beside me.

"We need to get back to the house." She tugged hard on my hand and we began to run. Despite Alice's 'good as new' prediction, she was still moving a little slow, so I reached out and grabbed her, slinging her around to my back. She murmured a thank you against my ear and I sped along at maximum speed.

"What's going on, Lei?" I needed to know what I was running into.

"Sarah's coming on Jacob's bike." I didn't have to ask who Sarah was. While I had been helping Leia climb the stairs over and over and over again yesterday, we had talked seriously about her time away from us. I knew that Sarah was the twin sister of Adam Talldeer. It was then that I realized what was causing that curious sadness. The only other time I'd felt it was when she was telling me about the Talldeers. Especially when she talked about Adam.

"The wolves?" I needed to know if Sarah was alone. If the wolves were converging on our house...Esme was there alone. Rose and Emmett were off on an extended hunt. I pushed my speed, despite Leia's reassurance that Sarah was alone. I heard the motorbike myself about the time I jumped the river. We hit the porch just as Esme wandered outside, no doubt curious about the motorcycle coming up the drive. Leia leaned back against her and Esme wrapped both arms around Leia's waist, resting her chin on Leia's shoulder. I stood on the top step in front of them, waiting.

The bike came into view after a few seconds, a black Harley Davidson Sprint with a tall, leather clad woman astride it.

"Nice bike," I said softly to Leia. She nodded.

"You should have seen the rusty heap of junk it was before Jacob got ahold of it. He does good work."

Sarah Talldeer stopped the bike and cut the engine, slowly easing the kickstand down. I knew she was probably watching us warily, trying to decide how best to approach. She was putting off a plethora of emotions. Fear, curiosity, guilt, relief and even a tiny bit of joy. She finally swung her leg off the bike and reached up to remove her helmet, shaking out a head full of silky black hair. She was pretty for a human. I wondered how much she favored her brother. She looked at us for a moment, as if deciding if she really wanted to approach.

"Hello, Sarah." It was Leia's soft greeting that made up her mind. She hung her helmet on the handlebars and strode forward. She stopped several feet from us and gave Leia a smile.

"Hi, Leia. I was wondering if maybe we could talk?" Leia returned Sarah's smile, despite the confusion and that infernal sadness she was putting off.

"Sure, Sarah. Does Jake know you're here?" Leia's hesitant question caused a surge of irritation from Sarah.

"Contrary to popular belief, I am a grown woman with a mind of my own. Jacob Black is my soulmate, not my babysitter." I felt Leia's surprise at Sarah's comment. Surprise and relief, mingled with something akin to malicious glee. It was hard to name the last because I'd never felt anything like it from Leia. Evidently Jacob Black was not in her good graces at the moment.

"I know that, Sarah, but they way things are..." Leia trailed off as Sarah took the last few steps to the bottom of the stairs. She glanced at me and then back at Leia and Esme. She smelled...odd. Not that her blood didn't call to me, but she was covered in a scent that almost made my nose wrinkle in disgust. I was amazed. For the first time, a human was standing two feet from me and I wasn't struggling to hold back the monster within.

"The way things are is why I'm here. Things are going to get out of hand really quick if we can't find some kind of common ground. There have been two suspicious deaths in the area and the tribal elders are this close," Sarah held up thumb and forefinger a hairsbredth apart, "To sending the pack to 'eradicate the problem'."

I fought down a growl at the very idea of the dogs coming here. Leia must have heard the rumble in my chest, because she pulled away from Esme, laying a hand on my arm as she moved forward. She stepped down in front of me onto the bottom step, putting herself at eye level with the tall Native American girl.

"Sarah, it's not us. It's Victoria, I'd stake my life on it. She's not like us, not a vegetarian vampire, and she's out for Bella's blood. That's part of the reason my family came back. We have to stop her before she does any more damage in Forks."

"Victoria? She wouldn't happen to be a redhead?" Sarah's question made me tense up as Leia nodded. I was about to speak up and start asking questions when Esme interrupted me.

"Girls, I'm sure this conversation would be better had inside." Esme, ever the polite hostess, spoke up. I could feel the concern and curiosity rolling off her in waves. Leia turned her head to smile gratefully at Esme.

"Sorry mom, this is Sarah Talldeer. Sarah, this is my mother, Esme, and my brother Jasper." Leia made introductions and Sarah gave us a polite, if wary, nod. I stepped aside and Esme gestured Sarah up the stairs. I gave the girl credit. She didn't give any outward show of the trepidation she was feeling as she stepped past us. Humans didn't like putting their backs to us as a rule and since Sarah knew exactly what we were, that instinct would be in overdrive. She did start a little when she saw Leia holding open the door since my sister hadn't bothered to move at human speeds. Even slightly slower than normal, Leia's move from the stairs to the door would have been no more than a blur to Sarah.

We all moved into the living area and Leia settled next to Sarah on the couch. I stood against the fireplace and Esme hovered.

"Can I get you something to drink, Sarah?" Esme asked politely and Sarah blinked. I felt her surprise and offered an explanation.

"Bella is a frequent visitor to our house, Sarah. We keep the fridge and pantry stocked for her." She shot me confused look and I offered her a lazy smile. Her brow furrowed slightly and she turned to Esme.

"Some ice water would be nice?" She made it a question and Esme nodded.

"I'll be right back."

"Sarah. How's Adam?" Leia's quiet question made Sarah look at her with a pained smile. The girl patted Leia's knee as if comforting her.

"He's adjusting. He and Sam are constantly fighting and since Sam is the alpha, Adam doesn't win many of those fights." Her voice conveyed a great deal of frustration and Leia sighed softly.

"Tell him I'm thinking of him, would you? I know I can't see him, but…" Leia broke off and I felt her sadness surge. And suddenly I knew why her sadness felt so different to me. It was a curious mix of longing and affection. The wolf was obviously more than just a passing acquaintance. Curiouser and curiouser. And a little bit disturbing. Alice and I hadn't been with the family on their first stay in this area, but I had been regaled with the story from five different viewpoints and none of them had spoken kindly of the werewolves. Even Carlisle spoke of them in wary tones. Perhaps the new generation was less aggressive, but I doubted it.

"We'll find some way around it, Leia, I promise. But for now, this will have to do." She pulled a thrice folded piece of paper out of her jacket and held it out to Leia. My sister's joy was evident, even without my gift. Her face lit up and I swore her hands were actually shaking when she took the letter.

"Can I send one back?" Her question was almost shy and Sarah patted her knee again.

"Of course. Like I said, the current situation needs some adjusting. Sam Uley may be able to keep Adam from coming to see you physically, but he doesn't have any say in where I go and who I see." Her dark eyes sparkled with rage and her jaw was set. Obviously her brother wasn't the only one fighting with the alpha male. There wasn't even a twinge of fear in her now. Something told me she would fight through hell itself for her brother's happiness.

"Thank you, Sarah. I'll be right back. Talk to Jasper about Victoria." And Leia was gone, leaving a startled Sarah behind. Esme came in, casting a curious look at the stairs as she handed Sarah the glass of water she'd brought.

"Sarah brought her a letter from Adam. I think she went to get some paper to write him back. Is Carlisle's office completely unpacked?" Everything in the house had to go back exactly as it was before we moved, or Leia wouldn't be able to get around easily. Not that it would take her long to readjust, but if she was hunting something specific like stationary, it might take her a while if it was still packed in a box.

"No, everything should be in order. Now, what's this about Victoria?" Esme sat in the chair across from Sarah. After shaking off a twinge of discomfort, Sarah spoke with us, her eyes swinging back and forth between the two of us.

"The pack tracked a red headed vampire just last night, crossing Quileute lands. She moved up towards the meadow where they killed the other one. The claim they almost had her cornered when she just disappeared over a cliff." Jasper nodded.

"Victoria seems to have a talent for avoiding capture. Do you think the pack and the elders would be willing to meet with us? Victoria is out for Bella's blood and it would be in both our interests to make sure she is...removed from the area." I hesitated over my wording, but Sarah still grimaced.

"She's not like you, right? She drinks human blood?"

I didn't know how much Leia had told her friend Adam about us and how much he had shared with his sister. If they were using Leia to measure the rest of us by, they were gravely mistaken. Leia's outstanding control would no doubt rival Carlisle's one day, if she continued to push her limits. I held no such ambitions for myself.

"Trust me when I say she thinks of humans as little more than cattle. Most of our kind does." I told her softly. I saw Esme wince and Sarah's brow furrowed.

"Then why is she hunting Bella? I wouldn't think..."

"Vengeance." Leia said in a dark tone, interrupting Sarah's thought. She came down the stairs with her lapdesk under one arm, a pencil behind one ear, blank paper in one hand and Adam's letter in the other. She paused for a moment, no doubt borrowing Sarah's eyes to discern our positions. "Edward killed her mate, so she wants to kill his."

"Oh." And I felt understanding in Sarah now. She had called Jacob Black her soulmate earlier, so perhaps she could understand Victoria's motivation. I knew I did. If anyone or anything threatened a single hair on Alice's head, I wouldn't hesitate to plot their demise before I found some way to follow Alice to smoldering ashes.

"Yes, though, honestly, James tried to kill Bella, so what did she expect Edward to do? How she could love that sadistic..."

"Leia." Esme's word of warning made Leia cut off with a sigh before she settled in the floor at Esme's feet, her back against Esme's knees.

"I was going to say vampire, I swear. Suffice it to say love makes some people blind and stupid." She spread Adam's letter out in front of her and Esme looked down. I moved two feet to the left so that I could read it as well. This was my little sister, after all. Her welfare was almost as dear to me as Alice's. It seemed innocent enough. He told her how sorry he was that he hadn't been allowed to see her, promised he'd send Sarah with a letter as often as he could and he asked her if she'd write him back. It was fairly short, obviously more a request for communication than a real letter. There were some odd notations at the bottom, though. Some kind of code, I thought. I would ask Leia about that later.

"I never did answer your question, Jasper. I really don't know if the pack will agree to meet with you. I'll do my damnedest to talk them into it, though. I just need a phone number where I can reach you. Adam's been out of his mind the last few days, worried about Leia. Evidently your phone's out of order, Lei." Sarah glanced down at Leia, who was done reading the letter Adam had written and I thought she might be reading through it again. It was difficult to tell, since Leia didn't need look at the paper as she read. But she was running her fingers over some of those notations. The sad longing was in evidence again, but it was laced with anger and shame. I was glad when Sarah distracted her by mentioning her phone.

"It got smashed in the meadow. Dad was going to get me a new one today. Jazz, can she have yours for now?" Esme glanced at me and I nodded. Leia turned a smile on me before she leaned her head back in Esme's lap, allowing Esme to stroke her hair tenderly as she wrote her letter to Adam. Sarah watched her closely and considering the amount of surprise coming off of the Quileute girl, I was grateful she wasn't gaping like a fish. Not only was Leia not watching her hands, she was writing at vampire speed. Neat, perfectly straight lines of text appeared under her pencil as if by magic. I sighed softly when I saw her write about Italy.

'Even if my phone hadn't been smashed to bits in the meadow, I don't know if my service plan extends to Italy. I want your solemn promise that you'll never visit that God-forsaken country. There are monsters there that would make Laurent look like a fluffy bunny. Bella and I had to go rescue Edward from himself. In order to get us out of there in one piece, I did some things I'm not proud of. Things that would make you wonder if you really want to be friends with me.'

Of course the underlying hints of fear and remorse coming off of her at that point made me want to comfort her, but compared to the deep horror and shame she had been dealing with two days ago they were exceedingly mild. I was mightly relieved to note that. Just the fact that she acknowledged that she had acted with a noble purpose was a huge step forward. I was shocked, however, that she even made vague mention of her actions. Esme must have been equally shocked because she asked the question I wanted to in a voice too high and fast for Sarah to understand.

"Why would you even hint at telling this boy things you don't even want Bella to know?"

"Because Bella would blame herself for my actions. I don't think she would think any less of me, because she knows what we are. She's seen the worst side of us, of me, and she still loves us. But I'm afraid Adam thinks too highly of me and I refuse to let him put me on a pedastal. Best I let him know what I'm capable of before he fancies himself my furry white knight." Even speaking so that Sarah couldn't hear, I detected a note of wistfulness in her voice that backed up the longing I sensed in her. Esme's fingers stilled in Leia's hair.

"Oh, Leia. You don't mean to tell me that boy is in love with you?" Esme's concern was prevalent, but I noted just a hint of hope in her as well. Trust Esme to find hope in a nearly hopeless situation.

"Leia..." I began, meaning to convey to her exactly how dangerous this could be. I had been worried about the werewolf situation exploding in our faces. This kind of development could escalate things to nuclear proportions. Leia cut me off.

"I know, Jazz. I'm may be blind but I am _not_ stupid. I haven't done anything to encourage him. I know a relationship with a werewolf would cause serious problems."

"If by serious problems you mean World War III, you understand my concerns." From watching Bella and Edward, I knew that love sometimes happened despite insurmountible odds. But what better example of a Romeo and Juliet style romance than a vampire and a werewolf. Our species were natural enemies. Just the scent lingering on Sarah's clothing and skin from Jacob Black made my nose revolt. And Leia's nose was more sensitive than mine. I wondered how she managed to stand it.

"Don't worry, Jazz. Once he learns the truth about me, he'll probably tuck tail and run. I hope not, because I really do consider him a very dear friend, but it might be for the best if he does." Leia's comments were resigned. Esme sighed softly and tucked a curl behind Leia's ear.

"He was willing to fight for you in the meadow, Leia, I don't think he'll be frightened off by your actions in Italy. Tell him the whole truth and see how he reacts. If he's a true friend, he won't condemn you for what you did and none of us will begrudge you your friendship." Esme's gentle words and her quick warning glance my way made me grimace, but in the light of Leia's affection for the boy I couldn't disagree with her.

"Esme is right, I suppose. Good friends are hard to find, even harder when you happen to be a blood sucking vampire." I grinned when I felt Leia's surprise and just a hint of that elusive joy I'd been missing from her for so long. And all because I was encouraging her friendship with a werewolf.

"And if he's not satisfied with 'just friends'?" Leia asked, her head tilted in my direction, one eyebrow raised. There was a hint of humor in her question. I snorted softly, catching Sarah's attention. I schooled my expression into a polite smile for her but my words to Leia held a hint of malice and not all of it was feigned.

"Remember how I'd planned to scare Ben Chaney away from you last year at prom?"

"Oh please," she said in an exasperated tone. "I don't think discussing Aztec torture methods with Adam is going to frighten him away. He's not the squeamish type."

"Who said anything about discussing it? I hear the wolves heal pretty quick..."

"Jasper Whitlock Hale! Don't you dare. And don't you encourage your brothers in that direction either." Esme didn't bother to keep her voice at vampire hearing levels this time and Sarah jumped when she started shouting at me. Leia just giggled as she added a few of those odd notations to her own letter before folding it neatly.

"Sorry, Esme." I apologized, being sure to add in a sheepish smile for good measure. I made a note to keep any dealings with Adam Talldeer as covert as possible. Leia might not think I was serious, but if things got out of hand I wouldn't hesitate to have a long talk with the boy, Aztec torture methods optional.

Leia hopped up from the floor and went to offer Sarah her letter. The girl glanced at her watch.

"Thank you, Leia. Adam will be estatic to hear from you. Now, I better get back to the rez before Jacob sends the pack looking for me. He tends to be a little overprotective sometimes." Sarah offered Leia a wry smile. "After I spend a few hours calming him down and delivering Adam's letter, I'll try to talk them into a meeting with you and your family."

I nodded when Sarah glanced at me for confirmation that we really did want to call a meeting. She gave me a half smile.

"It was nice meeting you both." She turned her smile on Esme and Esme returned it.

"Lovely to meet you, too, Sarah. I hope you'll drop by again soon." Sarah nodded shortly and skirted the back of the couch, walking briskly to the door. Leia followed her out.

"You might want to have someone between you and Jacob when he finds out where you've been, Sarah. I know you love him and he loves you, but...accidents happen." I heard Leia voice her concerns to Sarah and I was surprised by her insight into how dangerous her new friends could be. Then again, she had observed them fighting firsthand. Perhaps she knew the dangers better than any of us. Sarah obviously wasn't concerned because she just snorted softly.

"I'm well aware of that, Leia, but I promise I know how to handle Jacob, volatile werewolf temper and all."

"Sarah..." Leia's voice was exasperated.

"Okay, okay. If it'll make you feel any better I'll tell him over the phone."

"Thank you."

"I'll talk to you soon, I hope. Bye, Leia."

"Bye Sarah. Tell Jacob...tell Jacob we've missed him. We've missed both of you." Leia's voice was strained as she obviously spoke for herself and Bella.

"He'll probably never tell you this himself, Lei, but he's missed you and Bella too. Hopefully we can do something about this ridiculous turf war and we can all be friends again."

"I hope so, Sarah. I really hope so."

As Sarah rode away, I felt Leia's ever present sadness mingle with hope as she walked back into the house. She even did a pirouette on her way back up the stairs to her room, the first time to my knowledge that she'd done a dance move since returning home from Italy. She had even refused to do any dancing as part of her physical therapy. As thrilled as I was to see it, I was waiting until Alice got home to let myself feel anything but trepidation about our current situation. I sincerely hoped my wife could shed some light on things to come, because our concern over the Volturi and Bella's change suddenly seemed to pale in comparison to pack of angry werewolves and one pissed off, vengeance-seeking vampire.


	15. Chapter 15

"Alice, stop worrying. We'll figure something out." We were sprawled on various surfaces around Bella's room Sunday night. I was laying across the end of Bella's bed, Alice was in the rocking chair with her feet propped up on the bed and Bella was sitting against the headboard eating popcorn.

"Everything we've thought of ends badly. Why would a talent scout be coming to the Forks High School Talent Show?" Alice was grumbling, but I just chuckled softly. Bella looked at me and I could imagine the glower on her face. She was not happy with what Coach Crump qualified as 'make up' for the PE midterm. Bella, Edward and I all had to enter the end of year talent show.

Bella had missed all but two of her midterms during our trip to Italy. And since Edward and I had been official runaways for the past few months, we couldn't get away with forged midterm grades. Alice should be happy she wasn't required to 'make up' PE too, but she was actually disappointed she couldn't take part.

"Everything _you've_ thought of ends badly, Alice. You just can't make yourself come up with an idea that makes us look bad. You said yourself my idea would work fine."

"Just because we can't showcase our true talent doesn't mean Bella can't..."

"No, Alice. I don't want to be discovered for my ability to sing like Cyndi Lauper or play the water glasses or twirl a flaming baton. I don't have a musical bone in my human body, nor am I coordinated enough to twirl anything. I like Leia's idea." Bella's gaze had turned on Alice and I saw my sister affect a pout.

"But you can't act!"

"Exactly! There's no chance of me impressing anyone, much less a talent scout. All Leia and Edward have to do is pretend they can't act too. Quick, easy and relatively painless unless you take into account that I'm making a fool of myself. But since I'll never see any of these people again after graduation, and Leia and Edward get to make fools of themselves too, I don't care so much." Bella shrugged and I giggled.

"Except for Emmett. I'm sure he'll get an eternity's worth of amusement out of it." I couldn't resist pointing that out. Alice sighed and rolled her eyes just before Bella yelped.

"He is NOT allowed to come! It's bad enough Charlie insists on coming."

"I don't think we'll be able to keep him away. If we do, he'll sabotage your costumes. Oh! You'll let me make your costumes! Thank you!" Alice's face lit up as she finally foresaw something about the whole talent show fiasco that she was happy about. I relaxed. I really hated when Alice was sad. It usually ended with her dragging Jasper off for days at a time. I just got my family back together and I didn't want to spend all of my Spring Break playing video games with Emmett.

"So, what are we doing? Something from Shakespeare?" I asked as I picked up another kernel of popcorn and tossed it at Alice. She, of course, caught it and tossed it into Bella's mouth, which was opened to answer me. Luckily we'd been doing this all night, so Bella didn't act surprised and more importantly she didn't choke. Instead she rolled her eyes and chewed before speaking.

"Well, it needs to be something that has a part for all of us and something I know. I can't act but at least I won't have to worry about forgetting my lines. But it will be the perfect excuse to get Charlie to lighten up on Edward's visitation hours." I reached out and touched my sister's ankle so I could see Bella's face. She was smiling, but there was a haunted look in her eyes that had been there since Edward had dropped us off at Bella's yesterday morning.

"He'll be back early." Alice's soft comment made that haunted looked go away and I gave my sister's ankle an affectionate squeeze. She had obviously noticed Bella's preoccupation with Edward's absence as well.

"Really? How early?" Bella's voice was breathless with anticipation and I couldn't help a sad smile. I wondered how long it would take for Bella to truly trust Edward to always come back to her. She had never had a huge amount of self-esteem and Edward's leaving had destroyed the little she had. It was one reason I was surprised she had agreed to my idea about the talent show. Of course the fact that both Edward and I were both helping had something to do with it. She'd muttered something about strength in numbers the first time I'd mentioned it.

"Nuh uh. I'll ruin the surprise." Alice said with a giggle. Bella scowled and I attempted to distract her with suggestions about what play we should do a scene from. It didn't really work because Bella's scowl stayed in place, but she did manage to reject Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Hairspray and Phantom of the Opera. The first hit too close to home, the second Bella was unfamiliar with and the last two were musicals.

"How about _Taming of the Shrew_? Leia'd make a pretty good Kate." The amused voice from the window stated. Edward dropped to the floor inside the window and grinned. I had heard him coming, but I had agreed with Alice that it would ruin the surprise if we'd let on. The immediate look of relief and joy on Bella's face was worth the subterfuge.

"I'll let that go for now, Eddie, but only because Bella's so happy to see you." I told him in a vampire only tone. He flashed me an innocent look and moved across the room to give Bella a tender kiss in the middle of her forehead.

"I missed you." Edward's soft confession made Bella blush, of course. She reached up and touched his face, brushing her thumb across his cheek. I let go of my sister's ankle about the time Alice started studying the picture of Renee and Phil that sat beside the Bella's computer.

"Hey Alice, want to see something?" I asked as I ignored Bella and Edward's reunion. Alice made an affirmative noise and the two of us jumped out the window. I took Alice's hand and we ran down the street to the toolshed where Bella's bike was hidden. It wasn't nearly out of range for me to not hear Edward and Bella's soft conversation and the quiet sounds of kisses being exchanged, but I tuned it out the best I could and showed Alice Bella's bright red motorcycle.

"You rebuilt this all by yourself?" Alice asked. I nodded.

"With few suggestions from Jacob and a bit of help from Bella. Edward might be able to talk Bella into selling it, though. Honestly, if Charlie ever finds out she's been riding this, she'll be on house arrest until she's thirty. Which might make Edward happy, but..."

"Leia, that's just ridiculous." Edward's irritated comment carried easily to me and I grinned. I then listened as he had to explain himself to Bella. I heard her gasp and demand that Edward tell me not to even joke about that. Bella had always had issues with her age. She was mortified of being 'too old' for Edward.

"All that aside, I'd really like to take it out myself. Just once." I stroked the soft leather seat with a wistful sigh and then perched on it facing Alice. My sister was quiet for a moment and I let myself think about the Quileutes for a moment. We hadn't heard back from Sarah since Friday, so I hoped Jacob hadn't locked her up after her trip to our home. I was really anxious to hear from Adam but not at the expense of Sarah's freedom.

"Okay." That one word from Alice brought me out of my thoughts and I tilted my head at her.

"Okay, what?" I asked cautiously.

"Okay, let's go for a ride." I could tell by the tone of Alice's voice that she was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Really? And you'll let me do all the work?" I slid off the seat of the bike, bouncing lightly on my toes.

"Really. I checked and I don't think you'll wreck the bike. But you have to swear to stop if I say stop." Alice's grinning voice turned into her stern frown voice, but I didn't care. I threw myself into her arms and rained kisses on her face.

"Thank you, Alice! Oh, this will be so much fun!" I heard my brother snort loudly and announce to Bella that we were taking out her bike. I heard Bella giggle softly.

"Have fun. But don't you dare bring that by the house. Charlie will freak out and probably throw both of you in a cell overnight for disturbing the peace."

"Let's ride to Port Angeles!" I suggested excitedly as I walked the bike out of the shed and into the street with Alice trailing along behind me. I straddled the bike and nudged up the kickstand with my foot as Alice settled behind me with her arms around my waist and her chin on my shoulder. She hmmed softly and I felt it vibrate to my toes.

"We'd be gone too long. Charlie's gonna get up to check on us in an hour. Maybe just to the house and back. We'll both need a new pair of pajamas to change into after this, anyway." I grinned. Alice was wearing a blue silk negligee and I was in white silk pants and a lime green tank top. Probably not the best attire for a late night bike ride, but at the moment I didn't care. I squeezed the clutch and pushed down carefully with my foot to kickstart the engine. It roared to life almost immediately.

"How fast will it go?" Alice asked. I shrugged lightly.

"Don't know. I doubt Bella ever took it over forty, but I think with the modifications I made we can probably top one hundred."

"Let's see how fast it'll go."

I grinned in total agreement and shifted into first gear before I let off the clutch. Alice didn't take her eyes off the road except to glance briefly at the speedometer. It took me a few miles to get the hang of shifting gears and handling the bike. Once I felt confident, I pushed the bike a little faster. I whooped loudly as the wind whipped past me at sixty miles per hour, watching the world go by through Alice's eyes. It felt like flying. I heard Alice giggle and I smiled. She was having as much fun as I was. After the last few months, it felt good to let go.

"Faster, Leia." Alice urged me on and I coaxed more speed out of the bike, until Alice's glance at the speedometer read 105. The throttle was open all the way, so I knew we'd hit top speed. Alice and I were both leaning forward, more to streamline than to get out of the damp wind. We leaned together as we turned a deep curve and then Alice yelled at me to stop. Startled, I kicked the foot brake too hard and the bike stalled, sending both of us and the bike flying across the asphalt and into the greenery beside the road.

I ended up curled around a nice sized spruce with Bella's bike wrapped around my legs. Alice had somehow ended up in a tree several feet to the left of me. I knew because I could hear her giggling. Which meant she'd seen this.

"Alice?"

"Yea, Lei?"

"What was so not funny," I said in a wry tone, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I heard Alice jump down from the tree and move over to help me untangle myself from both the tree and the bike.

"Actually, yes it was." Alice giggled again as she pried the twisted handlebars from around my knee. I snorted softly.

"That settles it. You've been hanging out with Emmett too long."

"Leia, come on..." Alice said in a slightly exasperated tone. I bent down to peel the front wheel from around the tree above my head.

"Okay, so it might be funny if you hadn't just crashed Bella's bike and completely ruined my favorite pants," I said grudgingly. Alice patted my head.

"I wasn't just playing a prank, sister dear. I had a plan. First, none of us will have to worry about Bella riding this thing for a while and second, now you have something to do with Rose. She'll be estatic. She's been racking her brain for some new project and I know she's been dying to spend time with you."

Alice's explanation made me relax and I saw the bright sides of this little crash. But I still wasn't letting her off the hook completely.

"Okay, I'll give you that. But you still ruined my favorite pajama pants. You owe me a shopping trip."

"Not a problem," Alice said cheerfully. Then she gasped in delighted surprise. "To Paris? Oh, really, Leia?"

"Sure why not. We'll need something to do while Edward and Bella are on their honeymoon," I said as Alice grabbed me up into a bone popping hug. She danced around a bit and then grabbed my hand so we could run towards our house. I was pleased when I was able to keep up with her easily. I was finally completely back to normal physically. I asked Alice another question as we ran.

"Speaking of honeymoons, do you know when Edward's going to pop the question?" Alice didn't slow, but she sighed dejectedly.

"I don't know. Everytime Edward decides to do it, I see Bella reacting horribly. He's been trying to come up with a scenario that doesn't end up with Bella freaking out or with him tossing out some ultimatum to get her to say yes. Frankly its driving us both crazy."

"Why would she react horribly? That doesn't make sense. It's not like either of them will ever want someone else. Why not make it official? Anyway, she's been so worried about him leaving again, I'd think a proposal would put some of her fears to rest." I was completely baffled by Bella's foretold behavior.

"As best I can tell from the different outcomes, it has something to do with Renee." Alice sounded as baffled as I was. We'd reached the house by now and we both jumped through her bedroom window. As we changed and spent a few minutes chatting with the family, my mind was still preoccupied with Bella's reluctance to be Edward's bride. I decided that the best thing to do was talk to Bella about it.

"That won't work," Alice announced as we made our way down to the garage. Jasper was going to drive us back to Bella's house. I gave my brother a hug and then slid into the back seat, still thinking. Maybe if I managed to bring up the subject of marriage in general I could get some answers out of my human sister.

"That...has potential." Alice's comment made Jasper's brow furrow. As Alice explained what I was thinking about, I formulated a plan of attack. I adjusted my idea until Alice crowed in delight and I grinned happily. When we got back to the house, Edward met me at the window and twirled me around, kissing my nose.

"Thank you," he whispered his gratitude, obviously picking up the newest outcome for his plan to propose to Bella from Alice's thoughts. I watched through his eyes as he looked towards the bed. Bella was sleeping, one hand stretched out towards the pillow where Edward's head had no doubt been resting a moment before.

"Charlie's coming. Edward, get in the closet." Alice shooed Edward towards Bella's small closet and we flashed to the air mattress wedged between the wall and Bella's bed. Two seconds later, Charlie eased the door open. I looked through his eyes as he looked at Bella and then my sister and I. I was surprised when he stepped into the room, tiptoeing towards the bed. He gently tucked the soft blanket Bella was wrapped in around her shoulders. Then he pulled the folded quilt off the foot of her bed and leaned down to drape it over me and Alice. I was extremely touched by the gesture.

"Thank you, Charlie." I used my best sleepy voice and then I yawned. Charlie patted my shoulder, somewhat awkwardly, and nodded.

"You're welcome, Leia. Go back to sleep."

As Charlie left the room and shut the door softly behind him, I was struck with a wave of grief. Not my own, but the grief I knew Charlie would feel when Bella disappeared from his life completely. I knew Bella's change was for the best, that it was inevitable in the long run. But I prayed she wouldn't jump into it so fast she forgot about those she would be leaving behind. Like Charlie and Renee.

I sensed Edward as he climbed back into bed beside Bella, heard Bella's gentle sigh and the soft sounds she made as she burrowed back into Edward's cool, hard body. Edward reached down, however, and touched my face with his fingertips.

"She won't forget them, Leia. We will try to make it as easy as we can for them. At least they can keep in touch." I knew Edward was right. Bella could email her family and friends from anywhere in the world. It would have to be enough and I knew for Bella, it would be. Edward was her everything, her world, as she was his. Neither wanted to exist without the other and so, they would make it work.

"We will. I promised her." Edward's quiet words made me sigh. He had promised her once before.

"I swear, Leia. I know I'm being selfish, but she's stuck with me for eternity, whether she wants me or not." Edward's fierce oath made me relax and I reached up to wrap my hand around his wrist.

"She needs you as much as you need her, so there is nothing selfish about you being there for her."

"Perhaps." It was the last thing he said for a long while. Even Alice stayed quiet. Well, quiet for Alice. She was humming softly to herself, probably planning for the shopping trip in Paris I had promised her. I laid back against the pillow and smiled. For the first time in a very long time, I was content. Not completely happy since there were still so many unknowns in our future, but I could see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. All we had to do was kill Victoria, renegotiate the treaty with the Quileutes so we could change Bella without starting a war with the werewolves and thwart the Volturi's evil plans. _Sounds easy, right? _

"Leia, go to sleep," Edward growled softly. I giggled and Edward groaned. I decided to let him have a little peace so I settled down and let my thoughts drift. There would be time enough to worry about the fate of the world tomorrow.

Chapter End Notes:

The end...

Okay, not really, but that's the end of this story. Stay tuned for the next installment of the series, called Turning Point.


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